Blood glucose monitoring in paediatric patients - Looking towards better diabetes management and perspectives for the future

Abstract

Self-blood glucose monitoring (SBGM) is an important component of day-to-day diabetes management for children and their families. Despite some recent concerns in terms of its analytical accuracy, it has been used successfully to implement intensive glucose control in the Diabetes control and complications trial (DCCT), reduce glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, prevent acute complications, and make it possible for children to attend school and participate in sports activities safely. While still in its infancy, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) has been shown to be useful in reducing the occurrence of nocturnal hypoglycaemia, lowering HbA1c levels and reducing glycaemic variability. Its analytical accuracy has prevented its approval as an alternative to SBGM for insulin decision-making. However, it has made possible the development and testing of closed-loop 'artificial pancreas' systems for controlling glucose levels in adults and adolescents. © TOUCH BRIEFINGS 2012.