CGM in Pregnancy Diabetes Cuts C-Sections & NICU Stays

What This Study Found

A clinical trial called the Steady Sugar study followed 120 pregnant women diagnosed with gestational diabetes (GDM) between weeks 8 and 26 of pregnancy. Women who wore a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) had significantly fewer unplanned C-sections, preterm deliveries, and babies admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) compared to women who only used traditional finger-stick blood sugar checks. These are meaningful real-world differences for both mothers and newborns.

Why This Matters for You

Gestational diabetes affects roughly 1 in 10 pregnancies and raises the risk of serious complications if blood sugar isn't managed carefully. The standard approach — checking blood sugar with a finger-stick four times a day — gives only a few snapshots of your glucose levels each day. A CGM tracks your glucose around the clock, showing patterns that finger-sticks can easily miss, like spikes after meals or overnight dips.

In this study, women using the Dexcom G6 CGM saw these specific improvements compared to the finger-stick group:

• Unplanned C-sections: 20% vs. 44% — more than cut in half
• Preterm deliveries: 6.8% vs. 18.4% — nearly three times lower
• Large-for-gestational-age babies: 5% vs. 18.4% — a significant reduction
• NICU admissions: 22.5% vs. 44.7% — roughly halved

An Important Nuance

Interestingly, the CGM group did not spend significantly more time in the healthy blood sugar range (63–140 mg/dL) than the finger-stick group — that was the study's primary goal, and it wasn't met. So why did outcomes improve? Researchers believe the CGM helped doctors and patients spot problem glucose patterns earlier, allowing medication and lifestyle adjustments to be made faster and more precisely. Women in the CGM group also reported feeling more in control and more satisfied with their care.

What This Means in Practice

If you have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, it's worth talking to your healthcare provider about whether a CGM might be right for you. This study suggests that the continuous picture a CGM provides — even without dramatically changing overall glucose averages — can translate into safer deliveries and healthier babies. The real value may lie in catching glucose excursions you would never see with four daily finger-sticks.

Key Takeaway

Wearing a CGM during gestational diabetes was linked to significantly fewer emergency C-sections, preterm births, oversized babies, and NICU admissions compared to standard finger-stick testing alone.

MDS Diabetes carries a full range of CGM supplies and diabetes management tools to support women managing gestational diabetes. Visit mdsdiabetes.com to explore options and speak with our team about what's right for your pregnancy journey.

Full Citation

Elkind-Hirsch, Armatta, Griffen (2026). Continuous glucose monitoring in early gestational diabetes improves maternal and neonatal outcomes — The Steady Sugar trial. Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolism. PMID: 41178671. DOI: 10.1111/dom.70254