Equal Work Demands Equal Pay, Even in Pediatric Research

A common view in pediatric research ethics is that minors, especially younger children, are more easily susceptible to being unduly influenced by offers of compensation in exchange for their participation in research. For research that compensates participants, then, the common view is that minors—those who are under the legal age of consent—should be compensated in an age-appropriate manner. This means that their compensation be different from compensation given to adult research participants: adults and minors participating in the same clinical trial should be compensated at different levels, with minors being compensated less than adults or not at all. In this paper, we argue that considerations of fairness and the problematic ambiguity surrounding the notion of undue inducement supports equal compensation for all participants: minors and adults who give equal time and effort and undertake the same burdens and risks deserve equal compensation.