In the four years Thalidomide was on the market the drug sold almost as well as aspirin in some countries, and in Germany you could even buy it without a prescription. After it was on the market for about two years one million people in West Germany are estimated to have taken the drug daily. Based on how many people took thalidomide it probably solved its original problem to aid morning sickness. …show more content…
10,000 to 12,000 babies worldwide were born with facial deformities, shortened or no arms and legs, and defective organs. Many died due to these circumstances as a baby or child. These defects occurred, because Thalidomide slows the growth of blood vessels, and prevents the growth of arms and legs when the baby is still a fetus. Recent studies have even shown that Thalidomide might go on through generations. In Britain two children with birth defects were born to a Thalidomide victim. Scientists have connected their birth deformities to the teratogenic effects of