At least four states are considering following North Dakota in mandating that a factually incorrect and misleading animated video of fetal development be shown in elementary schools.
North Dakota passed a law in 2023 to require that students watch a “high-definition ultrasound video” that shows development of the brain, heart, sex organs and other vital organs. Some schools show the anti-abortion group Live Action’s “Meet Baby Olivia” video, which it used to push for the law.
Now, Iowa, West Virginia, Missouri and Kentucky are considering legislation to require that students watch “Meet Baby Olivia” or a similar video in school.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which includes over 60,000 members, has raised concerns about the video, noting that it calculates gestational age two weeks earlier than standard and depicts fetal development as more advanced than it is. Critics say the video also misrepresents when a fetal heartbeat can be detected and how early a fetus can survive outside the womb.
“Many of the claims made in this video are not aligned with scientific fact, but rather reflect the biased and ideologic perspectives of the extremists who created the video,” the association said in a statement.
UPI,March 28
Hechinger Report,March 30