The Morning Sickness Pill That Created Seal Babies

In the late 1950s, a German pharmaceutical company developed thalidomide as a sedative and found it was particularly good at treating morning sickness. The drug appeared incredibly safe during testing and was sold over the counter in more than 40 countries. But there was a devastating catch: if taken between days 27 and 40 of pregnancy, it caused phocomelia, a condition where babies were born with tiny flipper-like limbs resembling seal flippers. An estimated 5,000 to 10,000 babies were affected worldwide before the drug was pulled from the market in 1961. The tragedy led to complete overhaul of drug testing and FDA approval processes.