Protecting your child with CGM

You can even connect your smartwatch to access real-time data on your blood sugar levels; hence, you can see live readings by merely glancing at your watch.

CGM technology is critical for parents with kids/teens; living with diabetes is enough stress for a person and even more for a parent whose child has diabetes. The responsibility of parenting a child with diabetes is very demanding. There is the concern of trying to decipher which type of meal the child should have if s/he will get the right level of care at school, and how s/he can manage sugar levels independently.

The American Diabetes Association says that CGM in conjunction with intensive insulin regimens can be extremely useful in lowering A1C in some adults and quite helpful in children and teens. Children and teens are often not able to identify when their sugar levels are dropping, either due to hypoglycemia unawareness or the inability to communicate their symptoms effectively.

A CGM can help you keep your child safer. It becomes easier to monitor glucose levels (especially in between meals) and to test strategies to minimize swings when they occur. Parents usually have fears of what could happen to their children overnight; however, this device gives parents the confidence they need. CGMs are designed to sound an alarm in the event of dangerous highs and lows. So a sleeping child does not have to be disturbed to know their blood glucose level. Parents don’t have to worry about when to check blood sugar, especially between meals or activities. Children can engage freely in their usual activities including sports and sleepovers as the readings can be communicated to their wards/parents at any point in time.

CGMs can give false alarms, and they take some time to understand. Most people find that the effort to get their child to wear a CGM sensor is more than offset by better data and increased confidence in their control of their child’s diabetes.