50 Years After the Horrors of Thalidomide

The Takeaway

It was supposed to help pregnant women deal with their morning sickness. But when the women who took thalidomide gave birth they were confronted with a horror story. Children were born with a birth defects and other problems that could be fatal. It was 50 years ago the drug Thalidomide was withdrawn after it became clear it was causing serious and sometimes fatal harm to the unborn babies of thousands of women in Europe and around the world. It was a tragedy that touched many families in the U.S., even though the drug was not approved for use.  Dr. John Swann, historian at the Food and Drug Administration, assesses the legacy of thalidomide.

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