Continuous glucose monitoring and insulin pump therapy for diabetes in pregnancy

Abstract

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems and continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) systems, or insulin pumps, offer great promise for improved glycemic control during pregnancy. Combined, these two devices could potentially constitute an artificial pancreas, where real-time blood glucose readings are relayed to an insulin pump that uses a personalized algorithm to decide how much insulin is needed by the patient's body. However, the promise of these two systems have not yet been proven individually or in combination in controlled clinical trials to improve pregnancy outcomes. Such trials are urgently needed before the widespread use of these devices in pregnancy can be justified.