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In spite of all the established advances of modern medicine, certain people are drawn to non-traditional or “natural” remedies and approaches. Many of these are not dangerous. As a cancer specialist observed in the past year, people receiving cancer treatment will frequently try meditation or vitamins too. When such a practice is alongside, and not in place of, evidence-based treatment, this is typically not a concern. If it reduces distress, it can be beneficial.

The Proliferation of Online Health Influencers

But the explosion of online health influencers poses problems that governments and regulators in many countries have not fully understood. A recent inquiry into a particular business providing membership and advice to pregnant mothers has exposed numerous cases of late-term stillbirths or other severe injury involving mothers or birth attendants linked with it. While the entity is based in North Carolina, its reach is international.

“Across whole populations, going through labour and birth without skilled support is associated with higher levels of risk for mother and baby,” as stated by a professor of midwifery.

Examining the Dangers and Background

Childbirth without medical assistance, known as free birth, is permitted in countries including the UK and US. The potential dangers are not well understood due to a absence of reliable information. Childbirth can be a daunting prospect, and high-quality care is far from guaranteed. In England, a alarming recent report found a large majority of maternity units to be unsafe or in need of improvement.

Criticisms of medical systems and particular, longstanding issues with maternity care are in many cases valid. A significant number of the women interviewed for the investigation had in the past undergone distressing births.

Distrust and the Proliferation of Falsehoods

But while mistrust of institutions may be rooted in experience, it has also proved to be a fertile ground for other influencers seeking converts to their unorthodox methods and DIY ethos. During the pandemic, a “wellness” industry supposedly focused on healthy living was implicated in spreading falsehoods about vaccines and fuelling suspicion about official advice.

Concern is rising that such ideas are acquiring more widespread purchase. One presentation given at a medical symposium focused on misinformation, which it said had “significantly deteriorated in the past decade”. The inquiry shows that behind the facade of an anti-establishment sisterhood lies an enterprise that coaches women as social media influencers as in addition to birth attendants. The organization does not present itself to be a qualified medical provider.

The Requirement for Protections and Reforms

There is no turning the clock back to a time when doctors were presumed to know best. Huge quantities of scientific research are made available online and many people use these to positive effect. But there is also a need for protections from poor advice. It is well known that the automated systems used by tech companies promote more extreme content.

In the UK, necessary reforms to maternity services are urgently needed. They should include the choice of home birth and the availability of clear information to empower women in choosing their care. Ministers and bodies including the World Health Organization should also develop plans for the online information landscape so that science-based healthcare is not compromised.