Volume 30, Issue 171, May 2026

Efficacy of Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Diabetic Pregnancy: A Systematic Review

Brygida Tucka^♦, Jakub Szyszkowski, Izabella Zawadzka, Natalia Kriese, Bartłomiej Kowalski, Zuzanna Zgrzywa, Ewelina Komorowska, Paulina Wądołowska, Jakub Jaworski, Tomasz Kucharski

Medical University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 61, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland

^♦Corresponding author
Brygida Tucka, Medical University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 61, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland

ABSTRACT

High levels of blood glucose during pregnancy cause complications such as macrosomia and neonatal health problems. Intermittent finger-prick tests and HbA1c levels are usually ineffective at detecting sudden changes and glycemia spikes. We prepared a systematic review of the literature from Jan-2016 to Nov- 2025, which evaluates whether Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) yields better results than the common standard of care in Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM). The goal was to determine if using this technology reduced the incidence of large-for-gestational-age (LGA) infants and whether Timein- Range (TIR) is a better predictor of fetal health than the traditional HbA1c marker. For the T1D, the data are clear. CGM has emerged as the standard, consistently fostering glycemic stability needed to curb excessive birth weight. In GDM, the therapeutic value of the CGM and the systems used depends on the timing of the intervention. It has the greatest impact when deployed during the early gestational window or utilized as the primary driver for insulin titration. An important finding across all groups is that TIR is a far more accurate predictor of fetal growth than HbA1c, which can often appear normal even when dangerous glucose spikes are occurring. The shift from intermittent to continuous monitoring is a major improvement in obstetric care. CGM allows for the detection of hidden high and low blood sugar trends that standard testing misses. This review supports the expanded adoption of CGM in diabetic pregnancies.

Keywords: Continuous Glucose Monitoring, Type 1 Diabetes, Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, Time in Range (TIR).

Medical Science, 2026, 30, e84ms3841

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Published: 12 May 2026