Benefits of real-time continuous glucose monitoring in pregnancy

In recent years, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) has become increasingly available with the introduction of devices that are specifically approved for use during pregnancy. Evidence in the form of randomized-controlled trials and cohort studies continues to build support for the use of CGM during pregnancy to improve measures of maternal glycemia as well as obstetric and neonatal outcomes. Based on data from the CGM in pregnant women with type 1 diabetes (CONCEPTT) trial alongside a Swedish cohort study of real-world outcomes of pregnant women with type 1 diabetes, the UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines now recommend that real-time CGM be offered to all pregnant women with type 1 diabetes. Based on these guidelines, all pregnant individuals in the United Kingdom with type 1 diabetes will receive government-funded real-time CGM for a 12-month duration. These guidelines are a game-changer and will continue to facilitate more widespread access to CGM use in the United Kingdom and beyond. This review describes the role of CGM in the management of diabetes in pregnancy, discusses contemporary maternal glucose levels and their relationship with outcomes in diabetes pregnancies, and examines the high-quality, randomized-controlled trial and the real-world clinical data evaluating the impact of CGM use.