Firstly Documented Beliefs on Drug Teratogenicity

Viruses and drugs are well-known teratogens. In 1941, rubella virus was shown to cause severe birth defects such as cataracts, deafness and cardiac defects. Thalidomide received worldwide attention in the 1950s, after over 10,000 neonates were born with malformations. Until early 1940s, it was thought that embryos were protected from environmental agents (such as drugs) by the mother’s uterine, abdominal walls and fetal membranes.