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In spite of all the proven advances of modern medicine, certain people are drawn to alternative or “natural” remedies and practices. Many of these do no harm. As a cancer specialist noted recently, people receiving cancer treatment will often try meditation or vitamins as well. When such a practice is alongside, and not instead of, scientifically-backed treatment, this is usually not a concern. If it reduces distress, it can be beneficial.

The Proliferation of Online Health Figures

But the proliferation of online health influencers poses problems that authorities and oversight bodies in many countries have not fully understood. An investigation into a particular business offering membership and advice to expectant mothers has revealed numerous cases of third-trimester stillbirths or other severe injury involving mothers or birth attendants associated with it. While the company is headquartered in North Carolina, its reach is global.

“Across whole populations, going through labour and birth without professional support is linked to higher levels of risk for mother and baby,” as stated by a expert of midwifery.

Understanding the Risks and Context

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 absence of data. Childbirth can be a frightening experience, and high-quality care is far from 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 justified. Many of the women interviewed for the investigation had previously undergone traumatic births.

Distrust and the Spread of Misinformation

But while mistrust of established systems may be rooted in experience, it has also proved to be a fertile ground for other influencers looking for followers to their unorthodox methods and DIY ethos. During the pandemic, a “well-being” industry supposedly focused on healthy living was implicated in spreading falsehoods about vaccines and fuelling paranoia about official advice.

Worry is rising that such beliefs are gaining more widespread purchase. One paper given at a medical symposium focused on misinformation, which it said had “significantly deteriorated in the past decade”. This investigation shows that behind the image of an anti-establishment sisterhood lies an operation that trains women as social media influencers as well as birth attendants. The organization does not present itself to be a qualified medical provider.

The Requirement for Safeguards and Improvements

There is no going back to a time when doctors were assumed 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 dangerous advice. It is widely understood that the automated systems used by tech companies promote more extreme content.

In the UK, necessary reforms to childbirth care are urgently needed. They must include the choice of home birth and the provision of clear information to empower women in making decisions. Ministers and bodies such as the World Health Organization should also develop strategies for the online information landscape so that evidence-based healthcare is not compromised.