Teenage girls given "robot babies" more likely to fall pregnant: Aussie study

An Australian study found that a popular education program aimed at reducing teen pregnancy rates could have the opposite effect.

The Virtual Infant Parenting (VIP) program whereby teenagers are given a "robot baby" to care for prompted a 6 percent rise in teen pregnancy rates, according to a study by the Western Australian Telethon Kids Institute.

Half of the 3,000 13 to 15 year-old girls who participated in the study were required to take part in the VIP program while the other half were subjected to standard health education curriculum.

Of the 1,500 girls who took care of a robot baby, 17 percent had fallen pregnant by the time they turned 20, compared to 11 percent of those who were given standard education.

"The results were unfortunately not what we were hoping for," project leader Sally Brinkman, from the Telethon Kids Institute, told the ABC on Friday.

"The aim of the program was to prevent teenage pregnancy, we can definitely say that it didn't do that."

Brinkman said the fact that most of the girls who participated in VIP enjoyed caring for the baby could be one reason for the results.

"Most of (the students) really enjoyed the program and they liked it, they got a lot of attention when they had the infant simulators... they definitely weren't put off," she said.

Brinkman said she recommended that VIP stopped being used in schools.

"In terms of trying to prevent teenage pregnancy, I think on the basis of our results, I don't think it's a good public spend," Brinkman said.

"The education system delivers a whole lot of programs to students and many of them do not have a solid evidence base."

Programs similar to VIP are currently being used in 89 countries. Endit