Petition · past parliament · Department of Health and Social Care
Hold a Public Inquiry into Debendox and possible birth defects
Closed
164 signatures
What the petition asks
The Government should hold a Public Inquiry into the use of the morning sickness drug Debendox for pregnant women from the 1950s to early 1980s.
This should look at what testing was done before Debendox was rolled out, and whether in-utero exposure to this drug has led to long-term disability.
This should look at what testing was done before Debendox was rolled out, and whether in-utero exposure to this drug has led to long-term disability.
Debendox was debated by Parliament in 1984 as it was thought to have caused birth defects.
A Public Inquiry could establish what testing was conducted before Debendox was rolled out, oversight of this by the Committee on Safety of Medicines, and whether in-utero exposure to this drug has led to long-term disability.
A Public Inquiry could establish what testing was conducted before Debendox was rolled out, oversight of this by the Committee on Safety of Medicines, and whether in-utero exposure to this drug has led to long-term disability.
Timeline
| 2 Jun 2023 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 2 Dec 2023 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
164
Status
Closed
Department
Department of Health and Social Care
Opened
2 Jun 2023
Closed
2 Dec 2023
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.