Answer to Question #268371 in Organic Chemistry for aish

Question

2c) briefly why chemically did the prescribing of thalidomide for morning sickness in pregnant women lead to tragic consequences, including teratogenic effects?

Answer 1

The drug caused over 10,000 cases of a limb reduction defect called phocomelia—from the Greek for seal fin—with only 50% of these babies surviving. By the 1970s, the drug was banned from most markets. This tragedy led to a major change in our testing guidelines for drugs.