In 1961 an Australian doctor, William McBride, noticed a sudden increase in the number of babies being born With one or more limbs missing. He realized that all their mother had taken the same drug during pregnancy. And he alerted the medical world. The drug Thalidomide, had been used since the late 50s to combat nausea during pregnancy. When its catastrophic effects were realized – 40% of affected children died in their first year – it was withdrawn from use