# So About That Ultrasound in the Fetus Pooping Column

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-about-that-ultrasound-in-the-fetus-pooping-column/369327>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [August 19, 2006, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-about-that-ultrasound-in-the-fetus-pooping-column/369327 "2006-08-19T07:11:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-about-that-ultrasound-in-the-fetus-pooping-column/369327/1 "2006-08-19T07:11:32Z")

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[In the latest column **Cecil** states:](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/060818.html)

> [@](#):
>
> For instance, in 1996 two doctors reported on their ultrasonic observation of a female fetus masturbating over a period of 20 minutes.

If they videotaped that, would it be considered kiddie porn? (Or more correctly: **Pre** -kiddie porn?)

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**Author:** ![JDGold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dc4da7/32.png) [@JDGold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JDGold)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-about-that-ultrasound-in-the-fetus-pooping-column/369327/2 "2006-08-19T10:18:33Z")

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[QUOTE=Tuckerfan]  
[In the latest column **Cecil** states:](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/060818.html)If they videotaped that, would it be considered kiddie porn? (Or more correctly: **Pre** -kiddie porn?)  
[/QUOTE]

Not really. Its covered under the “rights of discovery” rulings for science. Anything that is observed as a by-product of sponsored scientific research is concidered in the “interest of expanding human knowledge”. ( Got that one from my old college text book, NEVER throw away a book!) On the other hand, if the researchers attempted to instigate this activity in a fetus… well… lets just say that their tenure being revoked is the least of their worries.

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-about-that-ultrasound-in-the-fetus-pooping-column/369327/3 "2006-08-19T20:25:58Z")

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I will point out the Cecil was wrong in one statement in the fetal poop column:

> [@Cecil](#):
>
> What else are they doing in there for nine months without cable?

But all fetuses have a cable, atteched in the center of the belly

Don’t they? 🙂

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**Author:** ![Mathochist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@Mathochist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathochist)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-about-that-ultrasound-in-the-fetus-pooping-column/369327/4 "2006-08-19T20:54:03Z")

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[QUOTE=JDGold]  
Not really. Its covered under the “rights of discovery” rulings for science. Anything that is observed as a by-product of sponsored scientific research is concidered in the “interest of expanding human knowledge”. ( Got that one from my old college text book, NEVER throw away a book!) On the other hand, if the researchers attempted to instigate this activity in a fetus… well… lets just say that their tenure being revoked is the least of their worries.  
[/QUOTE]

What I’m wondering about is a literature cite for that ultrasound. I couldn’t care less about the video itself, but having a more solid reference to the original report would be interesting.