Composition of the microbial communities at different body sites in women with preterm birth and their newborns

•We analyzed the microbiota of matched samples from the mothers that delivered preterm and their newborns by 16S rRNA gene sequencing.•We found that vaginal and gut microbiota in preterm birth were noticeably different from the term, and it was probably related to preterm birth.•Changes in the microbiome of the newborns could be related to preterm birth.•Some part of the microbiota of newborns probably originates in the uterus.