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In spite of all the proven advances of contemporary medicine, certain people are attracted to alternative or “natural” remedies and approaches. Many of these do no harm. As a cancer specialist noted recently, people undergoing cancer treatment will frequently try meditation or vitamins as well. When such a practice is alongside, and not instead of, evidence-based treatment, this is typically not a concern. If it reduces distress, it can be beneficial.

The Rise of Digital Health Influencers

But the proliferation of online health influencers presents problems that authorities and regulators in many countries have yet to grasp. A recent inquiry into a particular organization providing membership and advice to expectant mothers has revealed numerous cases of third-trimester stillbirths or other severe injury involving mothers or birth attendants linked with it. While the entity is based in North Carolina, its influence is international.

“For whole populations, going through labour and birth without professional support is associated with higher levels of risk for mother and baby,” according to a expert of midwifery.

Understanding the Risks and Background

Giving birth without medical assistance, known as free birth, is permitted in countries including the UK and US. The risks are poorly documented due to a lack of data. Childbirth can be a daunting prospect, and excellent care is not guaranteed. In England, a shocking recently published report found a large majority of hospital maternity services to be unsafe or in need of improvement.

Criticisms of medical systems and specific, longstanding issues with maternity care are in many cases valid. Many of the women spoken to for the inquiry had previously undergone distressing births.

Distrust and the Spread of Misinformation

But while distrust of established systems may be based on experience, it has also become a fertile ground for other influencers looking for followers to their unorthodox methods and DIY philosophy. During the pandemic, a “wellness” industry ostensibly focused on healthy living was implicated in spreading lies about vaccines and fuelling paranoia about government advice.

Worry is rising that such ideas are acquiring more widespread purchase. One paper given at a cancer conference focused on misinformation, which it said had “acutely worsened in the past decade”. This investigation shows that behind the image of an anti-establishment sisterhood lies an operation that coaches women as social media influencers as well as birth attendants. The group does not claim to be a certified medical provider.

The Need for Safeguards 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 published online and many people use these to beneficial effect. But there is also a need for safeguards from dangerous advice. It is well known that the algorithms used by tech companies reward more extreme content.

In the UK, necessary reforms to childbirth care are urgently needed. They must include the choice of home birth and the availability of data to empower women in choosing their care. Ministers and bodies such as the World Health Organization should also create strategies for the information ecosystem so that science-based healthcare is not undermined.