This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Background: Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) has the potential to be a valuable tool for measuring glucose concentrations in preterm neonates, but its actual effect on infants is still unclear. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the clinical effect of CGM on blood glucose levels in preterm infants requiring intensive care. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing CGM with other interventions, and identified five studies that met our eligibility criteria. The quality of the included studies was assessed using Cochrane’s Collaboration tool. Results: Our meta-analysis demonstrated that CGM, when combined with a protocol for adjusting glucose infusion, was associated with a decrease in the average duration of hypoglycemia, a greater percentage of time spent in the euglycemic range, and reduced time spent in mild and severe hypoglycemia compared with other interventions and controls. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that CGM, with a protocol for adjusting glucose infusion, increases the time spent in the euglycemic range, and reduces the duration of hypoglycemia in preterm infants during the first week of life.