Trust me I’m a doctor – has anything really changed?

 

In 1958, thalidomide was produced in the United Kingdom by The Distillers Company (Biochemicals) Ltd, under the brand names of Distaval, Tensival, Valgraine and Asmaval. Their advertisement claimed that: 

'Distaval can be given with complete safety to pregnant women and nursing mothers without adverse effect on mother or child.'

The drug was prescribed for a range of conditions including pneumonia, colds and flu and for relieving the symptom of nausea often experienced in early pregnancy.

THALIDOM...