Side Effects of the Drug Thalidomide

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Thalidomide was a popular drug used by many pregnant women in the 1950’s and 1960’s as a sedative. As stated by the Thalidomide Victims Association of Canada (2014),“The German drug company Chemie Grünenthal created Thalidomide to reduce the symptoms in pregnant patients experiencing morning sickness.”“After women taking thalidomide delivered their babies, it was evident that there was very severe and noticeable abnormalities.These birth defects were severely life changing with the children having underdeveloped and/or missing limbs, referred to as phocomelia or “nubs””(Kim, J. H., Scialli, A.R., 2011) “Phocomelia is known as a severe shortening of the limbs where the long bones are shorter than normal and more proximal elements are lost, such that in extreme cases the hand or fingers are attached directly to the shoulder”(Tabin, 2004). Thalidomide was soon taken away from public use, leaving families with quite a different life than predicted.

The Thalidomide Victims Association of Canada Stated (2014) that “at first, it was unknown that thalidomide could even travel through the pl...

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