Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Pediatrics: The Gap between Potential Benefits and the Reality of Utility

Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) is rapidly becoming a standard of care in the management of Type 1 diabetes (T1D). Today's devices are nearly as accurate as home glucose meters. They provide glucose data every 5 minutes, alert to high and low blood glucose levels, and allow for remote monitoring of a user's glucose data and patterns. Use of CGM has many benefits including support for tighter glycemic control without increasing the risk for hypoglycemia. There is however emerging evidence of some negative aspects associated with using CGM, which may result in decreased utilization of the device as well as a decline in quality of life, especially in the pediatric population. This article explores some of the challenges to successful CGM use and offers guidelines for helping patients/families minimize the negative impact of these revolutionary devices.