an abnormality of development in which the upper part of an arm or leg is missing so the hands or feet are attached to the body like stumps; rare condition that results from taking thalidomide during pregnancy
Medical term for a congenital condition in which one or more limbs are missing, with the hand and / or foot attached directly to the trunk of the body. This was found to be a common side effect of the drug Thalidomide.
Phocomelia (from Greek seal-limbs) is a congenital disorder that presents at birth very short or absent long bones and flipper-like appearance of hands and sometimes feet. The condition may be inherited or occur sporadically. It is also connected with prenatal exposure to the anti-nausea drug thalidomide.