Neonatal hypoglycemia: continuous glucose monitoring

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is increasingly used in the management of diabetes in children and adults, but there are few data regarding its use in neonates. The purpose of this article is to discuss the potential benefits and limitations of CGM in neonates.

Smaller electrodes in new sensors and real-time monitoring have made CGM devices more approachable for neonatal care. CGM is well tolerated in infants including very low birth weight babies, and few if any local complications have been reported. Use of CGM in newborns may reduce the frequency of blood sampling and improve glycemic stability, with more time spent in the euglycemic range. However, CGM may also lead to more intervention, with potential adverse effects on outcomes. More information is also needed about reliability, calibration and interpretation of CGM in the neonate.

Although the use of CGM in neonates appears to be well tolerated, feasible and has been associated with better glycemic status, there is not yet any evidence of improved clinical outcomes. Clinical utility of CGM should be demonstrated in randomized trials prior to its introduction into regular neonatal care.