A new study in Italy showed recently that twins, while in utero, make deliberate and directed movements to touch each other from the 14^th week of gestation.

This is the first time that a study of twins in the womb showed that they touch each other intentionally. In the past similar studies were conducted past the 11^th week of gestation, but only examined reflex actions, LifeSiteNews reported.

The new study was conducted by Dr. Umberto Castiello, University of Padova and his associates, using advanced ultrasonography that recorded the movement of the twins in 3D, LifeSiteNews said.

In the study, the researchers said, “Unlike ordinary siblings, twins share a most important environment – the uterus. If a predisposition towards social interaction is present before birth, one may expect twin fetuses to engage in some form of interaction,” LifeSiteNews reported.

Methodology

The premise of the study recognizes that when babies are born, one-to-one interactions are the beginning of social cognition. But, the study said, babies can’t develop just by watching, but need to also touch and have reciprocal interactions, like copying facial movements.

The study questions further, do babies have a propensity to interact even before birth, when they are still in the womb? The study differentiated reflex movements from intentional movements, referring to a 2007 study by Zoia et. al.

In the Zoia study, 22-week-old fetuses were seen in utero to have three hand movements that were goal directed, namely “movements ending at contact of fingers with the mouth, movements ending at contact of fingers with the eye, and movements directed away from the body, towards the uterine wall.”

In the experiment, five pairs of twins from low-risk pregnant mothers were examined in utero on the 14^th and 18^th weeks of gestation. Each recording session was 20 minutes long, LifeSiteNews reported.

On the 14^th week the twins were seen touching themselves and the uterine wall. There was also contact “head to head, head to arm and arm to head,” the study said. However, from the 15^th to 22^nd week, “intra-pair contact becomes a constant and increasing feature of all twin pregnancies.”

LifeSiteNews reported that interest in their twin rose three times as high, and 30 percent of total movement was aimed at the sibling. The movements also lasted longer, LifeSiteNews said.

The study said “[Between the 14^th and 18^th weeks] kinematic analysis revealed that movement duration was longer and deceleration time was prolonged for other-directed movements compared to movements directed towards the uterine wall. Similar kinematic profiles were observed for movements directed towards the co-twin and self-directed movements aimed at the eye region.”

The study showed that the increase of movement towards the twin was consistent among all sets of twins that were examined in utero adding, “When the context enables it, as in the case of twin fetuses, other-directed actions are not only possible but predominant over self-directed actions,” LifeSiteNews reported.

Mississippi has become the most recent state to join 13 others in pursuing a “Personhood Amendment.”

A press release by Personhood Mississippi states they already have enough votes to put their measure on the 2011 election ballot as an Amendment to the Mississippi Constitution.

Fetal sonogram

What is a Personhood Amendment?
“Personhood” amendments are pro-life measures being proposed at state-level legislatures.

The goal is to recognize, within the states’ constitutions, that every unborn child has the same inherent rights, dignity and value as every living human from the beginning of their biological development.

Another aspect being pursued in some states is to assure dignity and human rights to every physically or mentally disabled or elderly person; to prevent the notion of involuntary euthanasia.

The “Personhood Movement” is an official nationwide pro-life movement.This  website clarifies that Personhood Amendments can also be called Human Life Amendments.

A list of participating states and where they are at in the process can be seen here at Personhood.Net – a subsidiary of the Georgia Right to Life Committee. Georgia was the first state with such a proposal in 2007. It hasn’t resulted in being placed on a voters’ ballot.

Joining those states that have already constructed or proposed Personhood Amendments between 2007 and April 2010, approximately 26 other state legislatures are taking action to draft similar wording.

Additionally, Personhood.Net carries information regarding ongoing attempts to get enough petition signatures to file a Federal Personhood Amendment to the United States Constitution.

In September 2009, The Underground reported on Florida’s “Personhood Amendment” movement .

Update: The Florida movement continues to press forward. The proposed Personhood Amendment, if enough votes are collected, would be placed on the next Florida election ballot for citizens’ votes.

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA, Mar. 12 /Christian Newswire/ — The Georgia House today passed HB388: The Option of Adoption Act by a vote of 96- 66. This bill allows for embryos that are currently in cryopreservation to have the legal right to adoption as human beings in accordance with the child adoption laws of the State of Georgia.

This bill also ensures that the adoption of human embryos will no longer be carried out as a form of contract or property law. HB 388 helps to clarify the rights of genetic and adoptive parents and promotes the best interest of the child.

Daniel Becker, President of Georgia Right to Life stated, “This bill is monumental in that it establishes the adoption of embryos as children for adoption purposes. You donate property, but you adopt persons. We are excited that we are one step closer to establishing embryo adoption as law in Georgia.”

Since the late 1970s with the creation of in vitro fertilization (IVF), 500,000 human embryos have been conceived and stored in laboratories across the United States.

While four states have recognized some form of embryo “donation,” none of those states have a statute explicitly authorizing embryo “adoption.” If HB 388 passes through the senate and Governor Sonny Perdue signs the bill, Georgia will become the first state to explicitly, by state statute, authorize human embryos for adoption rather than for donation.

Clarke Forsythe, senior counsel of Americans United for Life commented, “This bill is very timely given the need to humanize the embryonic human at a time when at the federal level embryonic stem cell research is being promoted. This bill helps to provide a counterweight and is great news for Georgia.”