Continuous Glucose Monitoring in the Management of Neonates With Persistent Hypoglycemia and Congenital Hyperinsulinism

Background Persistent hypoglycemia is common in the newborn and is associated with poor neurodevelopmental outcome. Adequate monitoring is critical in prevention, but is dependent on frequent, often hourly blood sampling. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is increasingly being used in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus, but use in neonatology remains limited. We aimed to introduce real-time CGM to provide insights into patterns of dysglycemia and to support the management of persistent neonatal hypoglycemia. Methods This is a single-center retrospective study of real-time CGM use over a 4-year period in babies with persistent hypoglycemia. Results CGMs were inserted in 14 babies: 8 term and 6 preterm infants, 9 with evidence of congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI). A total of 224 days of data was collected demonstrating marked fluctuations in glucose levels in babies with CHI, with a higher sensor glucose SD (1.52 +/- 0.79 mmol/L vs 0.77 +/- 0.22 mmol/L) in infants with CHI compared with preterm infants. A total of 1254 paired glucose values (CGM and blood) were compared and gave a mean absolute relative difference of 11%. Conclusion CGM highlighted the challenges of preventing hypoglycemia in these babies when using intermittent blood glucose levels alone, and the potential application of CGM as an adjunct to clinical care.

Automated summary

This retrospective study introduces the use of real-time CGM in monitoring persistent neonatal hypoglycemia. The study found significant fluctuations in glucose levels in babies with congenital hyperinsulinism, highlighting the challenges of preventing hypoglycemia. The results also suggest the potential application of CGM as an adjunct to clinical care in managing neonatal hypoglycemia.