Despite of the widespread use of hydrogen and methane breath test, the variability in testing protocols, gas measurement techniques, and interpretation criteria continues to challenge the reproducibility and comparability across centers, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. The Asian Neurogastroenterology and Motility Association hence presents the first Asian monograph guiding application and interpretation of breath test. The monograph was formulated according to the framework of indications, preparatory process, performance, and interpretation of results, as well as future direction for research.

Background/Aims: Chronic constipation is prevalent yet under-diagnosed across Asia, compromising quality of life and burdening healthcare systems. Cultural stigma, varied diets, and limited access to standardized diagnostic tools delay timely care. Methods: The Bali Chronic Constipation Roundtable in November 2024, brought together experts from 11 Asian countries. The group reviewed epidemiological data, analyzed multinational questionnaire on clinical practice pattern, and conducted structured discussions to identify key barriers and propose region-specific recommendations. Results: Chronic constipation prevalence varies across Asia, ranging from 1.8% in India to 16.6% in Japan, with women and the elderly disproportionately affected. Under-reporting persists owing to cultural taboos and widespread self treatment with laxatives and traditional medications. Although the Rome IV criteria remains the global standard, they may not fully reflect Asian symptom profiles, and diagnosis is limited by scarce motility laboratories. First line therapies such as dietary-fiber optimization and osmotic laxatives are widely available, but newer pharmacotherapies (prucalopride, linaclotide, lubiprostone, and elobixibat) remain costly and unevenly accessible. Biofeedback for dyssynergic defecation is underutilized due to limited availability. Experts recommend expanded regional research on to refine diagnostic criteria, coupled with enhanced physician education and public awareness. They advocate accessibility to second-line and novel therapies that incorporate culturally attuned regional guidelines, and improved access to gastrointestinal motility testing. Conclusions The Bali Chronic Constipation Roundtable highlighted Asia’s need for region specific diagnostics and management. Addressing diagnostic and treatment gaps will improve outcomes, while ongoing researcher clinician policy collaboration must standardize guidelines, advance research, and ensure equitable care across Asia.

INTRODUCTIONLate preterm babies are defined as those born between 34 to 36 completed weeks. There has been a recent increased awareness that this group of babies has a higher incidence of morbidity as compared to term babies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term morbidities occurring in this group of babies managed in the neonatal unit at Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

MATERIALS AND METHODSA retrospective study was done of babies managed in the neonatal unit at SGH from January 2005 to December 2008. Maternal, perinatal and neonatal data were obtained from the departmental database. The outcomes of late preterm infants were compared with term infants.

RESULTSA total of 6826 babies were admitted. Ten percent (681 out of 6826) of babies were late preterm babies, making up 63% (681 out of 1081) of all preterm babies. Late preterm babies had significantly greater need for resuscitation at birth. They also had statistically significant increased risks of developing hyaline membrane disease (2.5% vs 0.1%), transient tachypnoea of the newborn (TTN) (8.1% vs 1.7%), pneumonia (7.0% vs 2.8%), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) (4.3% vs 1.1%), hypotension (0.7% vs 0%), apnoea (3.7% vs 0%), gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding (1.5% vs 0.3%), polycythaemia (2.2% vs 1.0%), anaemia (3.4% vs 1.2%), thrombocytopenia (3.2% vs 0.6%), hypoglycaemia (6.6% vs 1.7%), neonatal jaundice requiring phototherapy (41.1% vs 12.2%) and sepsis (1.7% vs 0.6%).

CONCLUSIONLate preterm infants are indeed a vulnerable group of infants with significant morbidities that need to be addressed and treated. Despite their relatively large size and being almost term, the understanding that late preterm infants are not similar to term infants is important to both obstetricians and neonatologists.

Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant Mortality ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature, Diseases ; epidemiology ; mortality ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Singapore ; Time Factors