Kentucky, Iowa, Missouri and West Virginia are eyeing legislation that could require students to watch fetal development videos in sex ed classes
Pro-life leader Lila Rose: Live Action's 'Baby Olivia' video shows baby's 'miraculous journey' inside the womb
Lila Rose, founder and president of pro-life nonprofit Live Action, speaks to Fox News Digital about the group's 'Baby Olivia' video that could potentially find itself in classrooms in several states soon.
Pro-life leader Lila Rose is standing behind a widespread fetal development video that could soon make its way into classrooms across certain states. This comes as it caused a stir among pro-choice groups and some members of the medical community questioned its accuracy, according to an Associated Press report from last week.
"I think they're upset that this is a video that shows the humanity of a baby and, unfortunately, they don't want to have that shared with students," she told Fox News Digital on Tuesday.
The video was created by Live Action, a pro-life nonprofit Rose founded and of which she currently serves as president. It follows the development of animated "Baby Olivia" from fertilization up to birth.
PRO-LIFE GROUP'S FETAL DEVELOPMENT VIDEO COULD SOON BE SHOWN IN CLASSROOMS ACROSS SEVERAL STATES
Lila Rose, founder and president of Live Action (left); Screengrab from the Baby Olivia video that could soon be shown in classrooms in several states (right) (Courtesy of Live Action)
According to a Live Action webpage detailing the project, it's backed by medicine, with multiple physicians from an array of fields, including gynecology, cell biology, neurobiology & anatomy, etc., reviewing and certifying its accuracy.
Still, some on the pro-choice side of the aisle aren't entirely convinced.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), a professional association of physicians in the gynecological field, for instance, alleged the video is "designed to manipulate the emotions of viewers," according to the AP report.
Dr. Emily Boevers, a practicing OB-GYN from Iowa, criticized the video for assigning human properties to a fetus "that are more sophisticated than medicine can prove."
In this detailed video from pro-life group Live Action, animated Baby Olivia is seen inside the womb. (Courtesy of Live Action)
Rose responded to that criticism on Tuesday.
"The only expert that is actually quoted by name that opposes Baby Olivia is the head of a pro-abortion activist group in Iowa," Rose said, referencing Boevers, who is also the co-founder of pro-choice group Iowans for Health Liberty.
"She doesn't even have something specific to say about what is inaccurate in [the video]," Rose continued.
Iowa is one of several states eying legislation that could require public school students to watch a video like "Baby Olivia" in sex education courses. Kentucky, West Virginia and Missouri are others.
The efforts mirror a similar law passed in North Dakota last year.
Rose additionally addressed ACOG's criticism, alleging they offered no specific points because the video is "medically accurate and scientifically correct."
"It was disappointing to see ACOG come out with the negative statement about ‘Baby Olivia,’" she said.
"Unfortunately, it doesn't align with many of its OB-GYN members who are themselves pro-life. In fact, that's why many members have left ACOG because they have become so radically politicized."
Rose said she is proud that the video employed the input from multiple medical professionals in addition to bringing groundbreaking animation to help illustrate the development of a baby inside the womb.
"This is educational content that's available to everyone for free online, and millions of people have viewed this video," she continued.
"People from both sides of the political aisle have praised it, both on the pro-choice side and the pro-life side, regardless of your position on abortion. Unfortunately, because of the attacks from some very, very political pro-abortion advocacy groups, there has been this sort of media whirlwind around ‘Baby Olivia’ that I think it doesn't warrant."
Rose insists "Baby Olivia" is not a political video and is instead about human life's beginnings.
Fox News Digital reached out to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and Iowans for Health Liberty for comment, but did not receive an immediate response from either.
Live Action also recently launched a web app enabling expecting mothers to track their unborn child's development day-by-day, Rose told Fox News Digital. The app, known as "Window to the Womb," tracks fetal development in an interactive way with detailed images and information that is backed by science.
Taylor Penley is an associate editor with Fox News.
