Subscribe today for more stories, tips, and updates.

Cincinnati Children's Blog
  • Subscribe
  • CincinnatiChildrens.org
  • Contact Us
  • Blog
  • Healthy Living
  • Rare and Complex Conditions
  • Safety and Prevention
  • Heart Conditions
  • Learning and Growing
  • Research and Discoveries
  • ?
  • Blog
  • Healthy Living
  • Rare and Complex Conditions
  • Safety and Prevention
  • Heart Conditions
  • Learning and Growing
  • Research and Discoveries
  • ?
  • Subscribe
  • CincinnatiChildrens.org
  • Contact Us
HOME/Healthy Living/The Latest CGMs Provide More Freedom for Kids with Diabetes

The Latest CGMs Provide More Freedom for Kids with Diabetes

The Latest CGMs Provide More Freedom for Kids with Diabetes
March 9, 2023
1 Comments
By: Nicole M. Sheanon, MD, MS

It’s never a great time to have diabetes, but now is a very exciting time to be living with this condition. That’s because the pace of change in the technology available for managing diabetes is fast and getting faster.

Technology is a game-changer for people with diabetes. I should know. I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) in 1990 when I was a child. Thirty years ago, I was doing finger sticks to check my glucose levels 6 to 8 times a day, every day.

Now, continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) measure glucose levels every few minutes—with no finger sticks—and send the results instantly to a CGM device or your phone. A CGM is a small filament inserted under your skin that measures the glucose in your body every couple of minutes and sends the data to a receiver in real time. They can be self-inserted at home and need to be changed every 7 to 14 days depending on the type.

Evolutions of this technology mean that CGMs keep getting better: Each new model that’s released offers an improvement such as providing more accurate or more frequent readings, being easier to use, or being smaller and less noticeable.

CGMs on the Market Now

The first CGM available for use in kids came out in 2014. Today, less than 10 years later, we have multiple CGMs to choose from and they’ve each gone through several iterations already. Those now available include the following:

Dexcom G7

This model was just released in February. Two times smaller than the G6, it’s about the size of two nickels stacked on top of one another. The transmitter that transmits blood sugar data is embedded in it. It offers a 10-day wear and provides a 12-hour grace period before it’s about to expire. It also features a 30-minute warm-up period, so you can get back into your closed loop system faster.

(Note that at this time closed loop systems have not updated their software yet. If you are on a closed loop system, talk to your doctor before upgrading.)

FreeStyle Libre 3

This version came out in October 2022. Originally with the Libre, you had to scan using your phone to get blood sugar readings. With the upgrade to Libre 3, you no longer have to scan; it sends minute-to-minute blood sugar readings straight to a smart phone. This version also has optional alarms and a 14-day wear. The Libre 3 is not yet connected to any closed loop systems. But a lot of kids don’t want an insulin pump, so this works well for them.

Medtronic Guardian 3

This CGM requires calibrating every 12 hours. It works with Medtronic closed loop systems and offers a wear of 6 to 7 days. Version 4 of the Guardian is out in Europe now; it is currently under review by the FDA for U.S. approval. The new model will not require finger stick blood sugars for calibrations.

With the various options available through these CGMs, families can weigh what features will work best for their child. We have more choices than ever before.

The Impact of CGMs on Kids’ Lives

When kids, teens and young adults use a CGM, it provides them and you valuable information about how their blood sugar reacts to insulin, food, exercise and anything else that affects it. What that means for kids is more independence and improved glucose control.

The newest advances in CGMs have resulted in remote insulin dosing, automated sensor replacement reminders, integration with cell phones and smart watches, and more. From a child’s standpoint, those things are huge.

Here’s what it can mean for them:

“I can have a sleepover at a friend’s house.”

With certain devices, kids and teens can share their data with parents and caregivers remotely. That means you don’t have to be right there next to them counting their carbs and making sure their glucose levels are in the right range. For many kids with diabetes, that can mean that sleepovers—once off limits—are now a possibility.

“I can go away to college.”

I had one patient with diabetes who didn’t feel comfortable going away for college. The constant management of her condition seemed too much to manage on her own away from her support system. But the latest advancements in technology mean she can more easily self-manage her condition, and her parents can help her remotely thanks to today’s data sharing capabilities. In the end, she and her family changed their minds about her needing to stay close to home for college.

We have fewer lows at diabetes camp.

I work at our region’s diabetes camp each year. Camp staff is responsible for monitoring blood sugar levels while kids sleep. Thanks to all of these advances in technology, we don’t have to wake kids up as often for finger stick blood sugars. And we now have fewer low blood sugar levels overnight than ever before. This provides a safer and more enjoyable time for the kids.

While I wish there were a cure for diabetes today, in the absence of that, I’m thrilled that we have so many tools to help us manage this condition—both for my sake and the sake of my patients. I’m excited about the technologies that have been developed so far and for what’s to come in the years ahead. I encourage anyone with diabetes to reach out to their doctor about these options to find one that’s right for you.

Subscribe today for more stories, tips, and updates.

Related Articles

Changing Care for Kids with Diabetes: How Tech Is Making an Impact
Changing Care for Kids with Diabetes: How Tech Is Making an Impact
Thyroid Disease in Kids: The Most Important Things to Know
Thyroid Disease in Kids: The Most Important Things to Know
A Mom’s Mental Health Tips for Parents of Kids with T1D
A Mom’s Mental Health Tips for Parents of Kids with T1D
Get to Know: Northern Outpatient Kentucky
Get to Know: Northern Outpatient Kentucky
TAGS:
  • diabetes
  • Endocrinology
  • Home
Avatar photo

About the author: Nicole M. Sheanon, MD, MS

Nicole M. Sheanon, MD, MS, is a pediatric endocrinologist and diabetes doctor at Cincinnati Children’s. Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as a child, she brings a unique perspective to caring for her patients, who include children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes, Turner syndrome, steroid-induced diabetes, adrenal insufficiency and general endocrine disorders.

Write A Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comments

Wafa Nasser March 26, 2023 at 8:18 am

Thanks very much for this information. So happy to hear the advances being made in Diabetes care.
Wafa J. Nasser M. D.

Topics

  • Cancer and Blood Diseases
  • Child Development and Behavior
  • Childhood Obesity
  • Chronic Care Networks
  • Cincinnati Walks for Kids
  • Featured Faces
  • Fetal Conditions
  • Fitness and Nutrition
  • Food Allergies
  • Ghana 2012
  • Health Care Public Policy
  • Health Care Quality
  • Health Care Reform
  • Healthy Living
  • Heart Conditions
  • Hospital Operations
  • How We Do It
  • Learning and Growing
  • Meet The Team
  • Nurses Week 2012
  • Patient Family Experience
  • Patient Flow
  • Patient Safety
  • Patient Stories
  • Pin of the Week
  • Radiology
  • Rare and Complex Conditions
  • Research
  • Research and Discoveries
  • Safety and Prevention
  • Share Your Story
  • Technology
  • Uncategorized
  • Vaccines
  • Volunteerism
  • What Makes Us Different
  • What's New
See All Topics
See Less Topics

Subscribe

Never miss a post! Sign up to get new blog updates delivered to your email.

Popular Posts

  • 6 Questions to Ask When Your Child Complains of Chest Pain 1.9k views
  • Caring for the Caregivers of Children with Congenital Heart Disease  1k views
  • Stuttering In Young Kids: When To Be Concerned 838 views
  • 4 Questions to Ask When Your Child Has Recurrent Croup 601 views
  • Would You Pass This Pesticide Safety Quiz? 504 views
  • Laryngomalacia: Is My Child’s Noisy Breathing Serious? 498 views
About

The Cincinnati Children’s blog features thoughts and perspectives from our experts on all things pediatric health. This blog does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Learn More »

Contact Us
  • 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3026
  • 1-513-636-4200 | 1-800-344-2462
  • TTY: 1-513-636-4900
  • socialmedia@cchmc.org
Connect With Us
  • Subscribe
  • CincinnatiChildrens.org
  • Contact Us

© 2009-2022 Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center