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Despite all the proven progress of contemporary medicine, some people are attracted to alternative or “natural” cures and approaches. A number of these are not dangerous. As one cancer specialist noted in the past year, people receiving cancer treatment will frequently try meditation or vitamins as well. When such a change is alongside, and not in place of, evidence-based treatment, this is typically not a concern. If it lessens distress, it can help.

The Proliferation of Online Wellness Influencers

But the explosion of online health influencers poses challenges that governments and regulators in many countries have yet to grasp. An investigation into one such organization offering membership and advice to expectant mothers has exposed dozens cases of third-trimester fetal deaths or other severe injury involving mothers or birth attendants linked with it. While the company is headquartered in North Carolina, its influence is global.

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

Examining the Dangers and Context

Giving birth without medical assistance, sometimes called free birth, is permitted in countries including the UK and US. The potential dangers are poorly documented due to a lack of data. Childbirth can be a daunting experience, and excellent care is far from guaranteed. In England, a alarming recent report found two-thirds of maternity units to be unsafe or in need of improvement.

Concerns of medical systems and particular, persistent issues with maternity care are in many cases justified. A significant number of the women interviewed for the investigation had previously undergone distressing births.

Distrust and the Proliferation of Misinformation

But while mistrust of institutions may be based on experience, it has also proved to be a fertile ground for other influencers looking for converts to their unconventional methods and DIY ethos. During the pandemic, a “well-being” industry supposedly focused on healthy living was implicated in disseminating falsehoods about vaccines and feeding suspicion about government advice.

Worry is rising that such ideas are gaining more widespread purchase. One presentation given at a cancer conference 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 trains women as social media influencers as well as birth attendants. The organization does not present itself to be a certified 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 beneficial effect. But there is also a critical necessity for safeguards from poor 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 cannot come soon enough. They should include the choice of home birth and the availability of data to support women in choosing their care. 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 undermined.