Pilot Study: Identification of a Multi-omic Predictive Signature for Preterm Birth in Obese African American Women

1. Determine if the stool or vaginal microbiome and urinary metabolite profiles in a pregnant obese population of African American women differ from their pregnant non-obese counterparts 2. Determine if the stool or vaginal microbiome and urinary metabolite profiles vary by class of obesity and magnitude of excess weight gain in this population of pregnant African-American women. 3. Assess the ability of the stool, vaginal microbiome, or metabolites, or the combination of all biomarkers as predictors of preterm birth (PTB) and onset of labor. 4. Determine if any dietary or clinical variables are correlated with changes in the microbiome or urinary metabolites or modify their association with PTB