Intermediate vaginal flora (Nugent score 4-6) is a heterogeneous condition which has been also associated with elevated risk of preterm birth and neonatal infections [43-46]. Intermediate vaginal flora comprises 15% of all abnormal vaginal flora (Nugent score >=4) [39]. In a recent trial, Ugwumadu et al reported that early (12-22 weeks of gestation) screening and treatment for abnormal vaginal flora (Nugent score >4) with 5 days of oral clindamycin resulted in a significant reduction in spontaneous preterm birth rate (12% in placebo vs. 5% in treatment group) and late miscarriage (13-24 weeks; 4% in placebo vs. 1% in treatment group) [39]. Similarly, Lamont et al reported that early (13-20 week) treatment of abnormal vaginal flora (Nugent score >4) with intravaginal clindamycin reduced the incidence of preterm birth by 60% [40]. Potential explanations for the treatment effect in the 2 later trials may include: 1) the earlier timing of treatment, prior to the amniotic membranes sealing the uterus at 20 weeks [47], which may thus prevent early ascension of bacteria into the intrauterine cavity; 2) antibiotic choice: 5-7 day course of clindamycin, which has greater activity against Mobiluncus and atypical Mycoplasma species vs. 2 days of metronidazole [26]; and 3) treatment of abnormal vaginal flora in Ugwumadu et al and Lamont et al, vs. treatment of BV only in the NICHD trial. A Cochrane meta-analysis concluded that the risk of preterm birth was significantly reduced by treatment of abnormal vaginal flora (Nugent score >4) (2 trials, 894 women; OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.32-0.81). Thus, in low-resource settings such as in rural Bangladesh, where both BV and preterm birth are prevalent, treatment of abnormal vaginal flora in early pregnancy may hold promise in reducing the incidence of preterm birth, and an evaluation in well-conducted community-based randomized trials is needed.