Phocomelia is a birth defect that has been linked to the drug thalidomide. This word derives from the Greek words for 鈥渟eal鈥� and 鈥渓imb.鈥� Thalidomide prescribed to pregnant women for morning sickness was responsible for about 10,000 cases of terrible birth deformities in the early 1960s. Most of the affected babies were born with stunted arms or legs that looked like seal flippers. Today thalidomide is being used to treat leprosy effectively in South America but in some cases due to improper instruction about birth control new cases of phocomelia have arisen.
