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Fetal behavior Anencephaly Medulla oblongata Abstract Fetal behavior in monozygotic twins, one being anencephalic, was serially recorded from 20 to 35 weeks of gestation and analyzed. The commencement of breathing movement was concluded to reflect the development of the medulla oblongata of the fetus. Osamu Kurauchi, MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya University School of Medicine, 65 Tsuruma-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466 (Japan) Introduction Recently, we reported the fetal behavior of an anencephalic fetus whose central nervous system above the medulla oblongata was absent [1], showing that the development of the central nervous system above the medulla oblongata plays an important role in the elimination of movements such as startle, jumping and writhing, and in the appearance of breathing movements. Now, we report comparative fetal behavior in a case of monozygotic twins, one of which was anencephalic. Case Report A nulliparous 32-year-old woman had become pregnant after artificial insemination with her husband’s semen. At 16 weeks of gestation, she visited Nagoya University Hospital for followup of her pregnancy. Ultrasound examination showed a twin pregnancy and one of the twins to be anencephalic. The next week, she was admitted to the hospital for treatment of a threatened abortion and subsequent premature labor. Administration of the tocolytic agent, ritodrine, was started at week 24 and continued until week 36. The behavioral patterns of each fetus were recorded weekly on videotape as previously reported [1] and analyzed. Informed consent was obtained beforehand.