Lawmakers in the Idaho Senate passed a bill Thursday that will require Idaho to “provide for human growth and development instruction in public schools.” Educators could use Live Action’s “Baby Olivia” video to fulfill such requirements.
SB 1046 requires students in grades five through 12 be shown a high-definition ultrasound video which shows the development on the brain, heart, and organs in fetal development, as well as a “high-quality, computer generated rendering or animation showing the process of fertilization and every stage of human development inside the uterus, noting significant markers in cell growth and organ development for every week of pregnancy until birth.”
“This bill introduces a structured and scientifically accurate curriculum to teach students about human biology, fetal development, and the process of pregnancy,” explained its sponsor, Senator Tammy Nichols.
“The program will be integrated in human biology or where discussions of contraceptive or sexually transmitted diseases are done, providing a comprehensive education on reproductive health,” Nichols said.
Live Action’s ‘Baby Olivia’ video fulfills all of the bill’s requirements, as it uses realistic, digital animation to depict medically-accurate information about the preborn child’s life in the womb, capturing significant growth and development milestones from the moment of fertilization through birth.
Though the bill did face some opposition in the Senate with claims that “Baby Olivia” is “inaccurate,” the video is backed by science; it was created with information from the detailed “award-winning content” from the Endowment for Human Development (EHD), which is a non-partisan organization which is “committed to neutrality regarding all controversial bioethical issues.”
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“Baby Olivia” has also been endorsed by a panel of medical experts, including Dr. David Bolender, PhD, Cell Biology, Neurobiology & Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin; Dr. Donna Harrison of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists; Michelle Cretella, MD, Executive Director of the American College of Pediatricians; and Jeffrey Barrows, DO, MA, Senior VP Bioethics and Public Policy for the Christian Medical & Dental Associations.
“Olivia is a spectacular and medically accurate portrayal of the development of a baby girl within the womb. It is based on information from the Endowment for Human Development, a highly respected scientific source on embryology and fetal development,” OB-GYN Kathi Aultman, MD, FACOG has stated. “Olivia draws back the curtain on the womb giving us a realistic glimpse of the baby within. As a retired OB-GYN, I wish this had been available for my patients.”
The bill next heads to the Idaho House for consideration.
