What is thalidomide tragedy?
Abstract. Thalidomide was a widely used drug in the late 1950s and early 1960s for the treatment of nausea in pregnant women. It became apparent in the 1960s that thalidomide treatment resulted in severe birth defects in thousands of children.
Are thalidomide babies still being born?
No-one knows how many miscarriages the drug caused, but it’s estimated that, in Germany alone, 10,000 babies were born affected by Thalidomide. Many were too damaged to survive for long. Today, fewer than 3,000 are still alive.
Did thalidomide affect all babies?
In the few short years that thalidomide was available, it’s estimated that over 10,000 babies were affected by the drug worldwide. Around half died within months of being born. The thalidomide babies who survived and their families live with the effects of the drug.
How many thalidomide babies were born in the United States?
The official FDA count released in the 1960s was seventeen thalidomide babies born in the United States. Nine of them were born to mothers who took samples made by American drug companies. Eight other mothers said they obtained the drug in other countries.
How did thalidomide cause birth defects?
Led by a team of authors, the study found that thalidomide actively degrades several C 2H 2 zinc finger transcription factors, including a cell protein known as SALL4. Without SALL4, cells are unable to fully develop which inhibits a foetus’s ability to grow limbs and other important organs.
Is thalidomide used today?
In the 1950s and 1960s, thalidomide was used to treat morning sickness during pregnancy. But it was found to cause disabilities in the babies born to those taking the drug. Now, decades later, thalidomide (Thalomid) is being used to treat a skin condition and cancer.
How many babies were affected by thalidomide in Canada?
In Canada, there were more than 100 babies born with problems attributed to thalidomide, but the authors of The Thalidomide Catastrophe estimate that there could have been over 400 babies, many dying early in life.
What birth defect causes short arms?
Achondroplasia is a type of rare genetic bone disorder. Achondroplasia is the most common type of these disorders. It causes the strong, flexible tissue called cartilage to not be made into bone as normal. This causes a series of signs, such as short arms and legs and a large head.
How much compensation did the thalidomide victims get UK?
Survivors in England of the world’s worst drug disaster, which led to the birth of 10,000 grossly disfigured children worldwide, are to receive £80m in compensation from the Government to help with their increasing needs.