ABSTRACT
Teratogens are substances that harm a developing fetus. The prescription of pharmaceuticals with teratogenic properties has increased rapidly over the past decade, with the heightened use of Accutane,1 thalidomide, and other birth-defect-inducing drugs. In a recent study of the warning symbol used for Accutane, researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that the warning symbol in use was confusing and subject to harmful misinterpretation (Daniel, Goldman, Lachenmayr, Erickson, & Moore, 2001).
