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Awareness: Preventing Another Thalidomide Catastrophe |
A booklet by 16 Japanese experts, edited by Dr. M. Kida offers comprehensive data and interpretation of the severity of the impact of Thalidomide on Japanese children. ("Thalidomide Embryopathy in Japan", 1987, Ed. M. Kida, Teikyo Univ School of Med Press).
In 276 pages, as often is the case with Japanese reports, an account in full detail is given based on 137 patients drawn from a sample of 309 registered cases. The photographic atlas and summary tables provided are quite interesting. Perhaps the most valuable feature of this work is the presentation of the broad spectrum of malformations induced by Thalidomide summarized in part below.
08% Dwarfism |
58% Upper limb only 15% Lower limb only |
23% Duane Syndrome 12% Strabismus 41% Ear Malformations 40% Hearing Impairment 85% and limb defects |
47% Arrhythmia 26% Hearing loss 76% Vertebral defects 59% Scoliosis |
Notable is the concurrent presence of hearing and limb defects. Isolated limb defects are rare.
Another elegant review of Thalidomide embryopathy is found in "Congenital Malformations"
by Josef Warkany.
