An infant simulator programme did not reduce teenage pregnancy

Study design Design: Randomised cluster control trial. Allocation: Schools were randomised 1:1 intervention:control. Randomisation undertaken using random number tables without stratification or blocking. Blinding: Unblinded. Study question Setting: 57 high schools (excluding Catholic schools) in Perth, Western Australia. Participants: 2834 girls aged 13–15 enrolled at an included high school who were nulliparous, 1267 in the intervention schools and 1567 in the control schools. Intervention: Each girl was assigned to care for an infant simulator (Baby Think It Over) doll for 64 hours. The simulator replicates the feeding and sleeping patterns of a 6-week-old infant. Outcomes: Pregnancy (live birth, stillbirth, abortion). Follow-up period: Until participants reached 20 years of age (5–7 years depending on age at recruitment). Patient follow-up: Medical records, including those from private abortion clinics, were assessed for occurrence of pregnancy, and the outcome of any recorded pregnancy. Main results The number of total pregnancies was...
Source: Archives of Disease in Childhood - Education and Practice - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Journalology, Picket, Pregnancy, Reproductive medicine, Adolescent health, Child health, Competing interests (ethics), Ethics of abortion, Ethics of reproduction Structured abstracts of sentinel articles: picket Source Type: research