Baby-simulation dolls that cry and poop on loop have been in circulation in British schools for decades. But their desired effect of turning young girls off of teen pregnancies has just been found to have the reverse result.

Researchers tracked pupils at 57 schools in western Australia, where eight per cent of those who'd spent time with virtual sprogs ended up giving birth, compared to four per cent in groups who had not. The team concluded that, factoring in class and sexual habits, girls who had looked after the dolls were 36 percent more likely to go through an early pregnancy.

Surprising? Not really.