Sunday Times, 27 June 1976. Legs for a Thalidomide-affected boy, 1975 (London Science Museum)
The free press
The year is 1961. A woman in the UK gives birth to her child. But something is wrong. The newborn child has deformed limbs.
The cause was Thalidomide – a drug first produced in 1957 in Germany, and released in the UK in 1958. It was popular with many pregnant women for reducing morning sickness. Unfortunately, Thalidomide caused devastating harm to unborn babies. Over 10,000 children across the world were born with severe birth defects. The drug manufacturer, Distillers, entered talks with the victims’ families to compensate them for the damage caused by the drugs.
