thalidomide baby
Sedative's tragic victim
A thalidomide baby is a child born with birth defects caused by the drug thalidomide, which was prescribed to pregnant women in the late 1950s and early 1960s for morning sickness.
The defects typically involved shortened or absent limbs.
The thalidomide disaster became a landmark case in drug safety regulation and is sometimes invoked when discussing pharmaceutical oversight: The FDA's caution stems from the thalidomide babies of the 1960s.
Decade after WWII
- 1960sDecade after the fifties
- morning sicknessPregnancy-related nausea
- sedativeDrug promoting calm
- West GermanyPostwar democratic German state
postwar · medical history · worldwide · withdrawn · banned · pharmaceutical industry · turning point
U.S. health regulator
- drug approvalRegulatory clearance for pharmaceuticals
- clinical trialsControlled health research experiments
- pharmaceutical testingEvaluating medication safety efficacy
- drug safetyMonitoring medicines for harm
adverse effects · risk assessment · regulatory reform · safety standards · oversight · monitoring · guidelines · precautionary principle
Absent limb condition
- developmental disordersConditions disrupting typical growth
- teratogenicCausing fetal malformations
- facial paralysisLoss of face movement
- physical disabilityImpairment of bodily function
Hiding wrongdoing from public
- corporate responsibilityCompany's ethical and social obligations
- victim compensationPayment to those harmed
- public outcryWidespread vocal disapproval
- class actionLawsuit filed for many
legal battles · whistleblower · consumer protection · drug recall · medical negligence · litigation · settlement · apology
Protections for impaired individuals
- prostheticsFabricated body part replacements
- adaptationFitting to new conditions
- resilienceCapacity to recover quickly
- advocacyPleading for a cause
compensation · support groups · testimony · memoir · documentary · awareness · anniversary · recognition
1950s
Decade after WWII
- 1960sDecade after the fifties
- morning sicknessPregnancy-related nausea
- sedativeDrug promoting calm
West Germany · postwar · medical history · worldwide · withdrawn · banned · pharmaceutical industry · turning point
FDA
U.S. health regulator
- drug approvalRegulatory clearance for pharmaceuticals
- clinical trialsControlled health research experiments
- pharmaceutical testingEvaluating medication safety efficacy
drug safety · adverse effects · risk assessment · regulatory reform · safety standards · oversight · monitoring · guidelines · precautionary principle
amelia
Absent limb condition
- developmental disordersConditions disrupting typical growth
- teratogenicCausing fetal malformations
- facial paralysisLoss of face movement
cover-up
Hiding wrongdoing from public
- corporate responsibilityCompany's ethical and social obligations
- victim compensationPayment to those harmed
- public outcryWidespread vocal disapproval
class action · legal battles · whistleblower · consumer protection · drug recall · medical negligence · litigation · settlement · apology
disability rights
Protections for impaired individuals
- prostheticsFabricated body part replacements
- adaptationFitting to new conditions
- resilienceCapacity to recover quickly
advocacy · compensation · support groups · testimony · memoir · documentary · awareness · anniversary · recognition · apology
thalidomide, baby, babies, babied, babying, babyish, babyhood