Pros And Cons Of Thalidomide
Thalidomide was a pharmaceutical produced by the German company Chemie Grünenthal that hit the market in 1957. It was intended for use as a sedative and treating morning sickness in pregnant women, along with a slew of other uses. Thalidomide was a miracle drug. It was much cheaper than many other sedatives, so many people could afford it. Due to the variety of uses, it could beneficial to almost everyone. It was advertised as so safe, even pregnant women could take it. Thalidomide was quickly made available in 46 countries and was popularly used. The use continued until a major string of serious birth defects was traced back to mothers around the world taking the drug while pregnant. The producers of the drug had used the innocent-until-proven-guilty
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However, half a decade later, it reemerged as an effective treatment for leprosy and other skin diseases. Today, it hold promises as a cure for certain cancers (Crawford, 2013). There is a growing controversy on whether or not its use should be continued as it could possibly save many lives, or if it should be forever abandoned to ensure no risk of the horrific effects again. Thalidomide caused many birth defects in babies whose mothers took thalidomide during pregnancy. After the connection between the birth defects and thalidomide was made, it was quickly identified as a teratogen. Although it is not certain how Thalidomide causes birth defects, the leading theory is that it enters the womb by penetrating the placenta. Once the pill is taken by the pregnant mother, it breaks down into metabolites, or products of metabolic reactions. One of these metabolites is CPS49. CPS49 can break through the defense of the womb and start causing problems. It kills developing blood cells, and very few are left alive. In the early stages of development, the undeveloped limbs on the fetus don’t receive enough new blood cells to continue developing, so they are not able to fully …show more content…
Thalidomide causes severe birth defects when taken by pregnant women, and it is unethical to put unborn children at risk of such malformation. If women are unware of the risks associated with thalidomide, they could continue its use during their pregnancy, affecting the fetus by depriving its developing limbs of the blood cells that are necessary to complete the developmental process. When thalidomide was first marketed and used by many pregnant women to help with morning sickness, about 10,000 children were born with serious birth defects. The victims of the sub-lethal effects of thalidomide are now forced to struggle to “resolve their loathing of what the drug did with the knowledge that it could help others”, causing them distress (Elash, 1997, P 2). It is unethical to put the previous victims in this situation by continuing the use of thalidomide. Use of the drug to combat other diseases during pregnancy could result in birth defects. Though it is regulated in countries such as the U.S., its use in developing countries with less regulation can lead to the continued birth of thalidomide babies. These affects have already been seen in Brazil. In 1965, it was approved for treatment of skin lesions and leprosy. As there are 30,000 new cases of leprosy diagnosed annually in Brazil, this seemed again to be a miracle drug that would help a significant number
However, half a decade later, it reemerged as an effective treatment for leprosy and other skin diseases. Today, it hold promises as a cure for certain cancers (Crawford, 2013). There is a growing controversy on whether or not its use should be continued as it could possibly save many lives, or if it should be forever abandoned to ensure no risk of the horrific effects again. Thalidomide caused many birth defects in babies whose mothers took thalidomide during pregnancy. After the connection between the birth defects and thalidomide was made, it was quickly identified as a teratogen. Although it is not certain how Thalidomide causes birth defects, the leading theory is that it enters the womb by penetrating the placenta. Once the pill is taken by the pregnant mother, it breaks down into metabolites, or products of metabolic reactions. One of these metabolites is CPS49. CPS49 can break through the defense of the womb and start causing problems. It kills developing blood cells, and very few are left alive. In the early stages of development, the undeveloped limbs on the fetus don’t receive enough new blood cells to continue developing, so they are not able to fully …show more content…
Thalidomide causes severe birth defects when taken by pregnant women, and it is unethical to put unborn children at risk of such malformation. If women are unware of the risks associated with thalidomide, they could continue its use during their pregnancy, affecting the fetus by depriving its developing limbs of the blood cells that are necessary to complete the developmental process. When thalidomide was first marketed and used by many pregnant women to help with morning sickness, about 10,000 children were born with serious birth defects. The victims of the sub-lethal effects of thalidomide are now forced to struggle to “resolve their loathing of what the drug did with the knowledge that it could help others”, causing them distress (Elash, 1997, P 2). It is unethical to put the previous victims in this situation by continuing the use of thalidomide. Use of the drug to combat other diseases during pregnancy could result in birth defects. Though it is regulated in countries such as the U.S., its use in developing countries with less regulation can lead to the continued birth of thalidomide babies. These affects have already been seen in Brazil. In 1965, it was approved for treatment of skin lesions and leprosy. As there are 30,000 new cases of leprosy diagnosed annually in Brazil, this seemed again to be a miracle drug that would help a significant number