Active Diabetes, Hormones & Metabolism Pregnancy, Children & Inherited Conditions

Continuous glucose monitoring in women with early onset type 2 diabetes in pregnancy

Funder DiabetesUK Charity-funded
Recipient organisation PhD Studentship
Funding £107K
Period Sept 2025 — Aug 2028

In plain English

AI plain-English summary

Pregnant women with early-onset type 2 diabetes face a 20-fold higher risk of losing their baby, yet no one knows what blood sugar targets their continuous glucose monitors should aim for. This matters because early-onset type 2 diabetes—diagnosed before age 40—is rising sharply in pregnancy, especially among women from ethnic minority or deprived backgrounds who are typically excluded from research. Continuous glucose monitors have transformed pregnancy outcomes for type 1 diabetes, where keeping blood sugar in range more than 70% of the time is linked to healthier births. But for early-onset type 2 diabetes, those targets simply do not exist. The research will combine a systematic review, a new observational study tracking glucose and lifestyle data, and interviews with women from diverse backgrounds to identify what glucose levels actually predict safe pregnancies in this group. If successful, the findings could give clinicians concrete, evidence-based glucose targets for managing early-onset type 2 diabetes in pregnancy. That would make antenatal care safer and more equitable for a growing population of mothers and babies currently navigating pregnancy without a clear benchmark.

View original technical description
Early-onset type 2 diabetes (EOT2D; onset <40 years) is becoming more common in pregnant women and carries a 20x increased risk of perinatal mortality. Since EOT2D affects people who are typically under-represented in research, new evidence is urgently needed to guide antenatal care and reduce perinatal mortality risks. Diabetes technologies, such as continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), have revolutionised pregnancy care in type 1 diabetes: achieving >70% time-in-range supports healthy pregnancy outcomes. However, there is no evidence for CGM targets to support a healthy pregnancy in EOT2D. Aim: assess the acceptability, predictive capability and lifestyle benefits of CGM in EOT2D in pregnancy. Objectives: 1: Systematic review/metanalysis of CGM use in EOT2D in pregnancy. 2: Examine social determinants of health and identify targets for glycaemia EOT2D pregnancies, using CGM and lifestyle data from a new observational study. 3: Qualitative assessment of women’s perspectives on CGM use in pregnancy, in ethnically-diverse or socioeconomically deprived groups. Impact: This project will help to make pregnancy safer for mothers and babies affected by EOT2D. Learning opportunities: Supported by an excellent multidisciplinary team, the student will gain experience in designing and conducting qualitative and quantitative research studies providing an excellent foundation for a career in research.

View the original record at the funder ↗

Researchers

Claire Meek (EPMC Awardee)

Related Research

Grants with similar aims, by meaning.

PROTECT PRegnancy Outcomes using continuous glucose monitoring TEChnology in pregnant women with early-onset Type 2 diabetes: A multicentre randomised controlled trial of the clinical and cost-effectiveness of using continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in pregnant women with early-onset type 2 diabetes
PROTECT PRegnancy Outcomes using continuous glucose monitoring TEChnology in pregnant women with Type 2 diabetes: A multicentre randomised controlled trial of the clinical and cost-effectiveness of using continuous glucose monitoring in pregnant women with type 2 diabetes
RECOGNISED - RandomisEd controlled trial of COntinuous Glucose MoNItoring in the management and diagnosiS of GEstational Diabetes Mellitus - a multi centre randomised trial
Exploring the Long-term Outcomes following a PrEgnancy with gestational diabetes mellitus
MICA: Understanding the glycemic profile of pregnancy: intensive CGM glucose profiling and its relationship to fetal growth.

Original classification

Studentship

Plain English summaries and category classifications on this site are generated by AI and may not perfectly reflect the original research.