In high schools around the world, teenagers are handed an electronic doll to care for for a day or two, to expose them to the challenges of parenting. The thought is that these so-called infant simulators will reduce the incidence of teen pregnancy. But the first randomized trial on the dolls finds they may do the exact opposite — actually increasing pregnancy rates in schools where they're used.
The infant simulator is a doll that cries when it needs to be fed, burped, rocked, or changed. It also electronically measures and reports on mishandling, crying time, the number of changes, and general care. These dolls are used in school- and community-based teen pregnancy prevention programs in 89 countries. This includes 67 percent of US school districts, according to Realityworks, which makes and sells the simulators.
But despite that widespread use, few studies have examined the underlying assumption that these programs actually reduce teen pregnancy. Australian researchers thus decided to conduct a randomized controlled trial.
Read Full Article »
