Thalidomide Research Paper

Many Americans continue to believe that if a medication has been approved by the FDA it is safe for us to use, but the facts are many times they are not. You only have to look at all the medications that have been pulled from the market after many people lost their lives or had their health decay from these medications to know that nothing could be further from the truth. It helps to find a physician who will tell you to change your lifestyle rather than prescribe a pill that might have harmful side effects.

This poisonous drug that had the ability to severely damage the anatomical structure of fetuses to the point of death passed unnoticed for several years. The highly concentrated infant mortality toll is a despairing loss of innocent life. Additionally, several hundred more babies from Australia, Great Britain, Japan, and Canada were affected. The international widespread death magnified the tragedy, adding salt to the wound. The immense death toll is considered an international failure because of the shared infant death crisis. Since the distribution of Thalidomide caused thousands of premature infant deaths, it can be classified as historically tragic. In addition to premature deaths, Thalidomide’s consumption in the early 1960s is also tragic in another way.

In general, with every pregnancy there is a 3-5% chance of having a baby with a birth defect. If a woman takes Thalidomide during her first trimester of pregnancy, the chance of her giving birth to a child with a birth defect increased to a 20%+ chance and the fetal and infant death rate is estimated to be 40% or more due to severe birth defects. (Thalidomide Side Effects on Babies). A portion of the children who suffer from birth defects caused by Thalidomide also suffer from developmental disabilities such as autism. Thalidomide victim survivors still suffer from these symptoms today. How does Thalidomide create all of these issues? The answer is science. The placenta is a very important organ that develops in the womb during pregnancy. The placenta nourishes the baby through through the umbilical cord and gets rid of all waste. The placenta is the first line of defense for the baby. It is a barrier that many harmful substances do not have the ability to cross. Before a pharmaceutical is offered to

One drug-dependent baby is born every hour in the USA (Ungar, 2014). Prescription and non-prescription drugs, such as thalidomide, diethylstilbestrol Accutane, cocaine, heroin have shown negative effects on embryos, young children both physically and behaviorally (Berk, 2014). These abnormalities

For adults, nurses should recognize that these drugs are associated with fetal abnormalities and congenital effects in humans. In addition, stop taking the drugs can cause anoxia.

In the late 1950s, the Thalidomide drug was used in Europe to treat morning sickness in pregnant women among other things. This study involved manufacturing company providing samples of this drug to physicians and compensating them to study the benefits and results of this drug. Although allegedly this drug did not cause any harm to the mother the fetus suffered severe damage as a result. There were thousands of children born with

They are dangers to human health. To being with, an expected mother who takes these drugs in early stage of pregnancy usually have spontaneous abortions. Moreover, it causes deformity to new born babies such as septal heart effect in which a baby born with hole in the tissue that separates

The same drug that caused thousands of birth defects is now being utilised as a way to help mouth sores in AIDs patients as well as a medicine to help with pancreatic cancer and other diseases (Feller, 2016). In the 1950’s and 60’s thalidomide was a drug used as a sedative that quickly became primarily for pregnant women with bad morning sickness. However, there were soon many birth defects that came from the mothers who were using thalidomide while pregnant (Winerip, 2013). Instead of giving birth to healthy babies, children were being born without ears or with flippers replacing their arms. The connection between thalidomide and the birth defects were not made right away causing the problem to be widespread. Thalidomide was and still is

How is the Orphan Drug act being exploited by the pharmaceutical industry as a means to raise drug cost?

Until recently, very little drug testing was done to women in childbearing years (Burchum & Rosenthal, 2016). This is due in part to the drug, thalidomide, women took to prevent early miscarriages. The drug caused 100,000 birth defects worldwide (FDA, 2001). Unfortunately in 1977, the FDA took this concern to the extreme and barred all women of childbearing age from phase 1 and phase 2 trials even if the woman was not pregnant (Burchum & Rosenthal, 2016). Because of the limited testing on women there was no way to know how women would respond to most drugs. There was no way to know if the drugs would have the same benefits or adverse effects as they did in men. We had no idea how the drug would be affected by the menstrual cycle. (Burchum & Rosenthal, 2016).

phocomelia, dysmelia, amelia, bone hypoplasticity are some of the aftereffects of the mother's taking the drug. At the time in 1957 people were rushing to buy sleeping pills or other medication to help with any problems they we experiencing, so when Thalidomide came onto the market, they had no idea what they were actually putting into their body. ¨The German makers of the drug advertised the peroduct as completely safe for everyone including mother and child because they couldn't find a dose high enough to kill a rat.¨ says Helix Magazine. 40% of the children died before their first birthday, the ones who survived had to learn to cope.

Humans have ventured a long way since the times of our early ancestors living in caves and fearing the cold and beast that would roam the darkness . As a species we have evolved from using primitive stone and copper tools to building space stations and creating new elements. With this abundance of knowledge we have created and retained has come the ability of discovering and understanding new sciences and medical techniques to further the survivability of our species , however with discoveries of new medical practices and drugs we must be wary of the unknown risk that comes from tampering with the unknown and natural processes. In the 21st century drug prescription and use is a frequent occurrence among the adult American population, before the industrial revolution almost if not all medicine was made of naturally occurring plants and herbs and were used sparingly. What are the biological and genetic consequences of fielding clinically untested drugs in pregnant women and what effect does it have on natural selection in humans?

When taken in the first trimester thalidomide prevented the proper growth of the fetus, and resulting in a birth defect in thousands of children around the world. When taken in first world countries between day 20 to 36 of fertilization. The child or children would be born with limb and other birth defects. During the 1950s and 1960s the children were known as Thalidomide babies. The damage or the drug, which manifested itself in the form of absence or severe deformation of the extremities ( arms, legs, hands and feet) and sometimes damage to the eyes, ears and internal organs. One pill during the first three to four months is enough to cause these birth defects.

Thalidomide is a medicine that is used for nausea. Many women who used it did not know that they were pregnant. Once they gave birth, they realized their child was severely deformed and ask how that could be? Scientists gave Thalidomide to pregnant rabbits and also gave birth

With the recent acquisition of Dr. Feel-Good Pharmaceutical, pending company merger will be known as Humanity Driven Pharmaceuticals (HDP), by Global Pharmaceutical Inc. includes two drugs that were in development by Dr. Feel-Good Pharmaceutical. After reviewing financial holdings and assets of Dr. Feel-Good Pharmaceutical and current Global Pharmaceutical Inc. capital, continuing development of both drugs, by HDP, is not financially feasible. Drug A offers parents the possibility of choosing the sex of their child. Drug B offers consumers over the age of 40 to postpone the aging process by up to 20% if it is effective.