Pro-lifers on Thursday applauded NBC's Today Show for the images and baby-centric language used in a story about a 3D ultrasound but also questioned why such language is not used when the topic switches to abortion.
The Today story spotlighted new United Kingdom research that examined how "babies in the womb react" to different flavors their mom ingested," host Sheinelle Jones said.
These images from researchers show that babies in the womb can possibly react to flavor. pic.twitter.com/RVB7DsXNoc
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) September 22, 2022
Pictures of babies from the 3D ultrasound were displayed for the audience.
In one sequence, the audience saw two photos of the same baby – one while resting and the other after the mom ate carrots.
"Do you see how he smiles?" Jones asked, referencing the baby.
In another sequence, two photos were displayed – one of the baby resting and the other of the baby scowling.
"[The study] co-author says the images could just show muscle movements when a baby's reacting to, maybe, a flavor that's bitter," Jones said.
Jones and co-host Dylan Dreyer discussed the 3D images.
"The 3D imagery is …" Dreyer said before Jones finished her thought: "pretty cool."
"They didn't have that when I was pregnant," Jones said.
Dreyer, though, said she did get a 3D ultrasound. Her children, she said, "look exactly" like they did on the ultrasound.
The Today tweet about the study showed pictures of the babies with an explanation: "These images from researchers show that babies in the womb can possibly react to flavor."
Pro-lifers noted the discrepancy in how stories about the unborn are discussed.
"A 'baby' when it makes for a cute news story. A 'fetus' when justifying killing them," tweeted Lila Rose, founder and president of Live Action.
A “baby” when it makes for a cute news story.
— Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) September 22, 2022
A “fetus” when justifying killing them. https://t.co/SfLwK6BMX6
"This is an admission of the humanity of life within the womb and that fetuses are, in fact, babies. Keep doing stories like this and educating the world about life in the womb," tweeted pro-life advocate Emila Rarick.
This is an admission of the humanity of life within the womb and that fetuses are in fact babies. Keep doing stories like this and educating the world about life in the womb.
— Emily Rarick (@emilyrrarick_) September 22, 2022
Photo courtesy: Pixabay/Public Domain
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
