Understanding parents' perspectives of repeated blinded continuous glucose monitoring in children with early‐stage type 1 diabetes and an affected first‐degree relative

Aim To explore the lived experiences of parents of children at risk of type 1 diabetes (T1D) undergoing repeated blinded continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). Method Since 2021, children with persistent islet autoimmunity in the Environmental Determinants of Islet Autoimmunity (ENDIA) study have been invited to participate in a sub‐study involving blinded Dexcom G6 CGM. Parents with children undergoing repeated CGM participated in a semi‐structured audio call interview. Open‐ended questions captured their experiences of their child's repeated blinded CGM. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Results Nineteen parents (18 mothers, 1 father) of children with a mean (SD) age of 7.5 (1.3) years, who had undergone a mean 5.5 (3.2) CGM assessments, were interviewed for a mean duration of 21.3 (8.0) minutes. Three main themes were identified: Challenges of CGM wear : All parents identified at least one difficult experience (e.g. pain with sensor insertion, anxiety of data loss) during CGM assessments Content and timing of feedback of CGM assessment findings : Parents described a range of experiences related to receiving feedback from health care professionals and their child's stage of T1D. Preparation for diagnosis of clinical (Stage 3) T1D and initiation of insulin treatment : Parents described feeling empowered by knowing their child's risk, allowing them to feel more prepared for progression to Stage 3 T1D. Conclusion Despite the challenges parents face while their child undergoes CGM assessments, they reported repeated blinded CGM as an acceptable form of monitoring that provided valuable knowledge regarding their child's risk of stage 3 type 1 diabetes.