A new study has found 24-hour glucose monitoring during pregnancy improves birth outcomes for women with type 1 diabetes and their babies.
The study
Who: the study involved 214 pregnant women with type 1 diabetes, aged 18-40, who manage their condition with daily insulin therapy.
What: an implanted continuous glucose monitoring device that provided 288 glucose recordings per day.
How: half of the women received a continuous glucose monitoring device and half used a traditional monitoring method.
Where: the study took place in 31 hospitals in Canada, England, Scotland, Spain, Ireland, Italy and the United States.
The results
(when compared with traditional monitoring)
Moms
- Women using continuous glucose monitoring spent more time in normal range for blood sugar levels (68% vs 61% – equivalent to 100 minutes more a day)
- Women using continuous glucose monitoring spent less time with high blood sugar levels (27% vs 32% – equivalent to one hour less per day).
Babies
- In moms using continuous glucose monitoring, the number of babies born larger than average was reduced (53% vs 69%)
- Fewer babies were admitted to intensive care for more than 24 hours (27% vs 43%)
- Lower number of babies were born with low blood sugar levels (15% vs 28%)
The Clinical Trial Services/Centre for Mother, Infant, and Child Research at Sunnybrook Research Institute coordinated this study*.
*The study is also referred to as CONCEPTT
What it means for you
- Talk to you doctor: Ask your doctor about the best glucose monitoring option for you.
- Reduce risk: It is crucial to keep blood sugar levels within the normal range.
- Plan ahead: If you’re thinking of becoming pregnant, speak to your health care team about managing blood glucose levels.
