But experts have mixed views on how over-the-counter CGM access will affect children. Some clinicians say gathering more data on children at high risk for diabetes would inform clinical interventions. Others worry the onslaught of information will create a culture of hyperfocusing on data, leading to unnecessary panic and restrictive food behaviors.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo many of the wellness trends that are alive and well in our culture right now are being directed to our families,\u201d said Wendy Schofer, a pediatrician who specializes in eating disorder prevention. \u201cThinking about [CGMs] as a part of the clinical standard of care, let alone over the counter, is really premature right now. It\u2019s something that we don\u2019t have enough information, let alone enough guidance for families to be able to really understand what this tool is providing and how to use it without harming the child.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\t\t\tCould new childhood obesity guidelines fuel eating disorders?<\/a><\/p>\n CGMs are a wearable device that pierces the skin with a needle and places a small sensor under the skin to sample blood sugars around the clock, recording values every 15 minutes. They are being advertised as a way to combat chronic disease, conditions that have been starting earlier in the U.S. An estimated 1 in 3 adolescents<\/a> have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, and 1 in 5 children<\/a> have obesity. Without meaningful intervention, children are more likely to carry these chronic conditions into adulthood to their health detriment, risking progression to diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and other health problems.\u00a0<\/p>\n CGMs are also a popular talking point for MAHA supporters, with health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. advocating for Americans to use CGMs and other health tech wearables to collect their own health data. The expanded over-the-counter availability for children opens up a large new market of prospective customers for Dexcom. These customers could include \u201cworried well\u201d parents who use CGMs themselves and may start looking to expand their wellness fixation to their children.\u00a0<\/p>\n Supporting the decision, FDA\u2019s premarket notification<\/a> points to a clinical trial<\/a> including participants 2 years and older. The trial is linked to one study in children and adolescents<\/a> with type 1 diabetes who used the Dexcom G7 prescription CGM, but not Stelo. It seems likely that other CGM companies may try to follow suit and seek approval for their over-the-counter devices in a pediatric population.<\/p>\n The opportunities of glucose monitors<\/p>\n The American Academy of Pediatrics told STAT it had not yet reached a position on the use of over-the-counter CGMs in children and adolescents. Some clinicians, though, shared tentative excitement.\u00a0<\/p>\n Kristen Nadeau, a pediatric endocrinologist at Children\u2019s Hospital Colorado, works with children who have obesity, prediabetes, and diabetes, and regularly prescribes CGMs. She saw Stelo as potentially a more affordable option. \u201cIt may increase the access of an underserved population,\u201d Nadeau said. The biggest barrier to getting her patients a CGM is accessibility. High out-of-pocket costs and a lack of insurance coverage for children not on insulin therapy particularly restricts patients with a high risk of diabetes who could benefit from a CGM before needing insulin.<\/p>\n Dexcom said the devices expand \u201caccess to glucose insights for millions of families at a time when youth onset type 2 diabetes continues to rise,\u201d especially for patients unable to access prescription options. Prescription CGMs are indicated specifically for use in people with diabetes requiring insulin therapy. However, Stelo is approved for use in those with diabetes who do not take insulin as well as broadly approved for those who want to understand lifestyle impacts on blood glucose.\u00a0<\/p>\n Stelo costs $99 a month for two 15-day sensors, along with applicators and adhesive patches to help keep the device in place. Stelo\u2019s accompanying app is free. As over-the-counter CGMs become more accessible and affordable, Julie Wilson, clinical dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist at Rady Children\u2019s Health in San Diego, thinks the devices could have a greater impact on blood sugar levels than traditional education by a health care professional.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt would be giving them a little bit more knowledge, more of an ability to see what is happening. \u2026 I think it would cause some dietary change,\u201d she said. Wilson, who has type 1 diabetes and herself uses a CGM, said the patients she works with who could most benefit from access to over-the-counter CGMs are those with obesity, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes not on insulin, who do not typically get insurance coverage for prescription devices.\u00a0<\/p>\n Pediatric blood glucose data is limited<\/p>\n A potential downside to greater CGM accessibility is that \u201chealthy\u201d children who do not have diabetes, elevated blood sugars, or obesity will also have access to these devices, and experts are not certain how that will affect them. \u201cThere\u2019s a little bit of \u2018the cart before the horse\u2019 happening,\u201d Nadeau said, noting there is not enough data about \u201cnormal\u201d blood sugar ranges for children without diabetes.\u00a0<\/p>\n Nadeau and researchers across the country are collaborating on the DISCOVERY trial<\/a>, a study of blood glucose levels throughout puberty for children who have high BMI, family history, or other risk factors for diabetes. She hopes this work will help fill the knowledge gaps around blood sugar ranges where children are at elevated risk for diabetes during their major growth and development period. The trial plans to enroll about 3,600 children ages 8 to 15 for the longitudinal study, but it leaves out children in younger or older age ranges, as well as those not at high risk for diabetes.\u00a0<\/p>\n Inadequate data regarding \u201cnormal\u201d blood sugar levels for children without diabetes could make\u00a0CGM data challenging to interpret, especially if clinicians are not involved. One study<\/a> that evaluated blood sugar ranges across multiple age groups reported participants, including children, experiencing both hypo- and hyperglycemia episodes during the trial, even if they maintained a normal blood sugar during the majority of the trial. Blood sugar levels oscillate throughout the day in reaction to food, sleep, and activities; significant variation in CGM values may lead parents to overreact.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t \t\t\t\t \u201cI worry about kids being told, \u2018Your blood sugar went too high last time you had a cupcake, you\u2019re never allowed to have another one again,\u2019\u201d Wilson said. She expressed the potential for friction between parents and children that might occur if food is overly restricted, which could also lead to children sneaking food or having unhealthy relationships with foods. Wilson notes that families will need help learning how to interpret CGM values. Factors like language barriers and family culture could also complicate what parents and children do with the data.\u00a0<\/p>\n Stelo\u2019s website and phone app for use alongside the device currently contain information related to adult users only. Dexcom did not respond to questions about the company\u2019s plans for adding information specifically for pediatric users and families.\u00a0<\/p>\n Laura Burross Jackson, a registered dietitian nutritionist working in the Pediatric Weight Management & Obesity Medicine clinic at Children\u2019s Hospital of The King\u2019s Daughters in Norfolk, Va., is worried CGM usage may cause children and families to focus on eating foods based on blood glucose response, shifting away from a balanced diet with variety. \u201cPlenty of nutrient-dense foods contain carbohydrates,\u201d she said, \u201cand growing brains and bodies need carbohydrates to thrive.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The risk of disordered eating in children and teens<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Dexcom-Stelo_Sensor_Up-Close-768x432.jpg\")
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\n\t\t\t\tSTAT Plus: Continuous glucose monitoring for the masses is here. Are we ready for it?<\/a><\/p>\n