Inside a Brazilian Thalidomide factory
A new scientific study seen exclusively by the BBC indicates that the drug Thalidomide is still causing birth defects in Brazil today.
It has been given to people suffering from leprosy, and some women have taken it unaware of the risks they run when pregnant.
It was given to pregnant women to help them overcome morning sickness - but it damaged babies in the womb, restricting the growth of arms and legs.
Around 10, 000 Thalidomide babies were born worldwide until the drug was withdrawn in the early 1960s.
But in Brazil the drug was re-licensed in 1965 as a treatment for skin lesions, which are one of the complications of leprosy.
Angus Crawford visited a factory in Brazil which produces about 8m pills a year.
23 Jul 2013
- From the section Latin America & Caribbean