Since it was a standard prescribed drug for a fair few years and only around 2000 people in the UK had this terrible side effect,
so the risk factor was quite a bit less than 1%.
Obviously unacceptable, but not that close a shave.
( Zuowan, Fri 20 Aug 2010, 15:09, 1 reply)

1:2... 1:5... 1:10 >1:100
Thalidomide Embryopathy
While estimates of risk range from 10-50%, Weicker (1962) suggested that if a fetus is exposed to thalidomide during the critical period, there is approximately a 20% risk of thalidomide embryopathy (Newman, 1985). Thalidomide embryopathy is characterized by a specific pattern of birth defects which can be divided into four groups: 1. four-limb phocomelia; 2. Upper-limb phocomelia or amelia with other leg defects; 3. Upper-limb phocomelia or amelia with normal legs; 4. Predominantly lower limb defects (femoral hypoplasia or lower limb phocomelia) which are generally associated with bilateral radial club hand and other limb defects. All four categories can be associated with other anomalies involving various organs (Newman, 1985).http://www.fetal-exposure.org/resources/index.php/1997/12/03/thalidomide/
( kila is reading clocks upside-down as usual, Fri 20 Aug 2010, 19:29, closed)

Well, that's me told.
I take it all back!
( Zuowan, Tue 24 Aug 2010, 8:34, closed)