through the blood Malformations in the kidney and heart Shortened neck Abnormalities in the urethra Thalidomide syndrome symptoms When an individual is born with phocomelia due to drugs or pharmaceuticals, it is known as thalidomide syndrome. The symptoms of thalidomide syndrome are defined by absent or shortened limbs, causing flipper hands and feet. According to Anthony J Perri III and Sylvia Hsu they can additionally receive: Palsy disorder of the face Ear and eye abnormalities, resulting in limited/complete loss of hearing or sight Gastrointestinal and genitourinary tract disorders Ingrown genitalia Undeveloped/missing lungs Distorted digestive tract, heart, kidney Hypoplastic or absent bones The infants that were exposed to thalidomide during development phases had a 40% chance of survival. The McMredie–McBride hypothesis explains that the limbs of the infants become malformed as a result of the thalidomide harming the neural tissue—simply because the neural tissue has such a large impact on formation and development of the limbs. Causes Thalidomide Thalidomide was released onto the market in 1958 in West Germany under the name Contergan. Primarily prescribed as a sedative or hypnotic, thalidomide also claimed to cure "anxiety, insomnia, gastritis, and tension". Afterwards it was used against nausea and to alleviate morning sickness in pregnant women. Thalidomide became an over-the-counter drug in Germany around 1960, i.e. it could be bought without a prescription. Shortly after the drug was sold, in Germany between 5,000 and 7,000 infants were born with phocomelia. Only 40% of these children survived. Research also proves that although phocomelia did exist through the 1940s and 1950s, cases of severe phocomelia multiplied in the 1960s when thalidomide was released in Germany; the direct cause was traced to thalidomide. The statistic was given that "50 percent of the mothers with deformed children had taken thalidomide during the first trimester of pregnancy." Throughout Europe, Australia, and the United States, 10,000 cases were reported of infants with phocomelia; only 50% of the 10,000 survived. Thalidomide became effectively linked to death or severe disabilities among babies. Those subjected to thalidomide while in the womb experienced limb deficiencies in that the long limbs either were not developed or presented themselves as stumps. Other effects included deformed eyes, hearts, alimentary and urinary tracts, blindness and deafness. Genetic inheritance According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), when phocomelia is transmitted (in its familial genetic form) it is seen as an autosomal recessive trait and the mutation