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Despite all the proven advances of modern medicine, some people are attracted to alternative or “natural” cures and practices. Many of these do no harm. As one cancer specialist observed in the past year, people receiving cancer treatment will often try meditation or vitamins too. When such a change is alongside, and not instead of, scientifically-backed treatment, this is usually not a problem. If it lessens distress, it can help.

The Proliferation of Digital Wellness Figures

But the proliferation of online health influencers presents problems that authorities and regulators in many countries have not fully understood. An investigation into a particular organization providing membership and advice to expectant mothers has exposed numerous cases of third-trimester stillbirths or other severe injury connected to mothers or birth attendants linked with it. While the company is based in North Carolina, its influence is global.

“Across 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 Dangers and Background

Childbirth without medical assistance, sometimes called free birth, is legal in countries including the UK and US. The potential dangers are not well understood due to a lack of reliable information. Childbirth can be a daunting experience, and high-quality care is not guaranteed. In England, a alarming recently published report found a large majority of maternity units to be unsafe or in need of improvement.

Criticisms of medical systems and specific, longstanding issues with maternity care are in many cases valid. A significant number of the women spoken to for the inquiry had in the past experienced traumatic births.

Distrust and the Spread of Falsehoods

But while distrust of established systems may be based on experience, it has also become a fertile ground for other influencers seeking converts to their unconventional methods and DIY philosophy. During the pandemic, a “well-being” industry supposedly focused on healthy living was implicated in spreading lies about vaccines and fuelling paranoia about official advice.

Worry is growing that such ideas are gaining more widespread traction. One paper given at a cancer conference focused on misinformation, which it said had “significantly deteriorated in the past decade”. The inquiry shows that behind the image of an anti-establishment sisterhood lies an operation that coaches women as social media influencers as in addition to birth attendants. The organization does not claim to be a qualified medical provider.

The Requirement for Protections and Improvements

There is no turning the clock back to a time when doctors were assumed to know best. Huge quantities of scientific research are published online and many people use these to positive effect. But there is also a need for protections from dangerous advice. It is widely understood that the algorithms used by tech companies promote more extreme content.

In the UK, improvements to childbirth care cannot come soon enough. They should include the choice of home birth and the availability of clear information to support women in choosing their care. Ministers and organizations including the World Health Organization should also create strategies for the online information landscape so that science-based healthcare is not undermined.