{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T11:37:26Z","timestamp":1785411446854,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"13","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,23]],"date-time":"2026-06-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1782172800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of T\u00e2rgu Mure\u0219"},{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/03gwbzf29","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Vaginal microbiota is relevant to pregnancy, but evidence on neonatal anthropometry is mainly molecular and focused on pre-term birth. This study evaluated whether microscopy-based vaginal lactobacillary dominance in late pregnancy is associated with neonatal anthropometric measures after accounting for maternal and gestational determinants. Methods: This prospective observational study included 144 mother\u2013newborn pairs recruited at a tertiary hospital in Romania between February and August 2025. Gram-stained smears were assessed for lactobacillary dominance, leukocyte density, and candidiasis; a composite vaginal indicator was derived. Outcomes were birth weight, length, and head circumference. Associations were assessed using correlation, adjusted regression, hierarchical models, and sensitivity analyses. Results: Lactobacillary dominance was not associated with birth weight or length in bivariate analyses, but correlated weakly with head circumference (\u03c1 = 0.186, p = 0.025). In adjusted models, it was nominally associated with higher birth weight (B = 133.5 g, p = 0.043) and larger head circumference (B = 0.47 cm, p = 0.034), but not birth length; these associations did not remain significant after multiple-testing correction. Incremental explanatory contribution was modest (\u0394R2 = 0.022 and 0.025), and associations attenuated after socioeconomic adjustment. Leukocyte density and candidiasis were not associated with outcomes; intermediate versus balanced vaginal status was associated with lower birth weight and head circumference in exploratory analyses. Conclusions: Routine microscopy-based lactobacillary dominance showed modest nominal associations with birth weight and head circumference, limited incremental explanatory value, and no robustness after multiplicity correction. These findings suggest a context-dependent association with limited clinical relevance.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm15134867","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,24]],"date-time":"2026-06-24T03:09:17Z","timestamp":1782270557000},"page":"4867","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Vaginal Lactobacillus spp. Dominance in Late Pregnancy and Neonatal Anthropometric Outcomes: A Prospective Observational Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5302-1700","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Oana Liliana","family":"Atomei","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctoral School, G.E. Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Targu Mures, 540139 Targu Mures, Romania"},{"name":"Department of Biological and Morphofunctional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Biological Sciences, Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava, 720229 Suceava, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andrei","family":"Lobiuc","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biological and Morphofunctional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Biological Sciences, Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava, 720229 Suceava, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Petronela","family":"Vicoveanu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical-Surgical and Complementary Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Biological Sciences, Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava, 720229 Suceava, Romania"},{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Emergency Clinical County Hospital Sfantul Ioan cel Nou, 720224 Suceava, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maricela","family":"Cobuz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical-Surgical and Complementary Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Biological Sciences, Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava, 720229 Suceava, Romania"},{"name":"Department of Neonatology, Emergency Clinical County Hospital Sfantul Ioan cel Nou, 720224 Suceava, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7299-118X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Monica","family":"Tarcea","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Community Nutrition and Food Safety, G.E. Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Targu Mures, 540139 Targu Mures, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Walther-Ant\u00f3nio, M.R., Jeraldo, P., Berg Miller, M.E., Yeoman, C.J., Nelson, K.E., Wilson, B.A., White, B.A., Chia, N., and Creedon, D.J. (2014). Pregnancy\u2019s Stronghold on the Vaginal Microbiome. 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