Monitoring blood glucose levels (BGLs)

Monitoring Blood Glucose Levels (BGLs) helps you and your child make appropriate choices about food, physical activity and medications. 

The three main ways to monitor your child’s BGLs is through:

A blood glucose meter

This device uses a small finger-pricking needle to draw a drop of blood from the finger. This blood is then absorbed onto a monitoring strip that is inserted into the blood glucose meter device. This device then provides an immediate blood glucose reading. 

A flash glucose monitor

This is a sensor worn on your child’s arm to read glucose levels just under the skin every 5 minutes. This device needs to be scanned with a reader, usually a smartphone application, and can provide downloadable data on your child’s levels of glucose throughout the day. In some instances, a blood glucose meter will still be required as the flash device doesn’t measure BGLs and can lag behind real-time readings by up to 10 minutes.

A continuous glucose monitor

The continuous glucose monitor (CGM) is similar to the flash glucose monitor as it reads glucose levels under the surface of the skin. Similar to the flash glucose monitor, a blood glucose meter may need to be taken at times to understand the immediate BGL of a child and to help calibrate the CGM device. The main differences are that this device is continuous and it can send data to an external receiver (such as a phone application or insulin pump). 

You and your child should keep a record of blood glucose readings to create a healthy understanding of BGLs as they develop. This can be done in a paper diary dedicated to your child’s diabetes management or a phone application where it is readily available. Bring these records to appointments with your child’s doctor to further understand your child’s diabetes. 

Managing type 1 diabetes and BGLs will require the ongoing treatment and administration of insulin. This can be through a very small needle in an insulin pen or an insulin pump which is worn on the outside of a person's body. 

Other ways to manage diabetes with your child are healthy lifestyle behaviours including:

Healthy eating

To get the most out of diabetes management, it is recommended to regularly include foods in your child's diet that are:

  • high in nutrients such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean proteins
  • low in saturated fats
  • low in sugar
  • low in salt.

Understanding the carbohydrate levels of certain foods your child eats is another way of managing their condition. 

See Healthy eating for children for more information or speak with an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) or your family doctor.

Physical activity

Like any other child, the recommendations are to achieve 60 minutes of physical activity each day (for 5-17-year-olds). Physical activity has an impact on circulating glucose, so if your child is trying a new activity, make sure you are monitoring their BGL more regularly. 

See Movement guidelines for physical activity recommendations for your child.