Adapted from the BMJ article by Susan Mayor 23 Sept 17
A study has shown beneficial effects in type one pregnant patients. One in two babies born to such women have complications such as prematurity, stillbirth, congenital anomalies, and being too big. These are due to high blood sugar levels in the womb and there has been no reduction in these in the last 40 years.
Denise Feig, the author of the study, based at the University of Toronto, says, “Keeping blood sugar levels in the normal range during pregnancy for women with type one diabetes is crucial to reduce risks for the mother and child. As insulin sensitivity varies through the pregnancy adjusting insulin accurately is complex. Since our results have come through we think that continuous blood sugar monitoring should be available to all type one women.”
In the international study 325 women who were planning a pregnancy or pregnant took part. Two thirds were randomised to get the monitors and the rest had standard treatment. Large newborns were halved and so was neonatal intensive care admissions and hypoglycaemia. Women had a small but significant reduction in HbA1c. They had more time in the normal blood sugar range and hypoglycaemia was not increased.
The extra cost of the monitors could be offset to some extent by the reduced cost of medical care after the birth.
Diabetes Diet 
I would give up my pump before I let loose of my CGM. The pump is a tool, the CGM is life changing.
LikeLike
Maybe the outcomes of this study will have repercussions for other diabetics too. IMO there is a strong case for ALL diabetics to have at least a CGM on loan after initial diagnosis, which may give them some guidance on the ridiculous nature of the high carb dietary advice.
It would also be interesting if dieticians were loaned one, although they would have to be more sensible than Giles Yeo, who decided that his high postprandial readings just proved that “nondiabetics” also had glucose spikes. Wake up!
Many nondiabetics have also been trialling them for research purposes and seen some, well frankly unsurprising, results. David Unwin to name just one.
An affordable CGM may be a game changer in many ways, the main problem will be proving that it is more cost effective than amputations and dialysis and premature death.
Didn’t I see Theresa May wearing one recently?
LikeLike