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In spite of all the proven progress of modern medicine, some people are attracted to non-traditional or “natural” remedies and practices. A number of these are not dangerous. As one cancer specialist noted in the past year, people receiving cancer treatment will often try meditation or vitamins too. When such a practice is alongside, and not instead of, evidence-based treatment, this is typically not a problem. If it reduces distress, it can be beneficial.

The Rise of Digital Wellness Influencers

But the explosion of online health influencers presents problems that governments and regulators in many countries have yet to grasp. An investigation into a particular business offering membership and advice to expectant mothers has exposed numerous cases of late-term stillbirths or other serious harm connected to mothers or birth attendants associated with it. While the company is based in North Carolina, its reach is international.

“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 professor of midwifery.

Examining the Dangers and Background

Giving birth without medical assistance, known as free birth, is legal in nations including the UK and US. The potential dangers are not well understood due to a absence of reliable information. Childbirth can be a frightening prospect, and excellent care is not guaranteed. In England, a alarming 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, persistent issues with maternity care are in many cases valid. Many of the women spoken to for the investigation had in the past undergone traumatic births.

Skepticism and the Spread of Misinformation

But while distrust of established systems may be rooted in experience, it has also become a fertile ground for other influencers seeking followers to their unorthodox methods and DIY ethos. During the pandemic, a “well-being” industry ostensibly focused on healthy living was involved in disseminating falsehoods about vaccines and feeding paranoia about government advice.

Concern is rising that such ideas are acquiring more widespread purchase. One presentation given at a cancer conference focused on misinformation, which it said had “significantly deteriorated in the past decade”. This investigation shows that behind the image of an anti-establishment community lies an operation that trains women as social media influencers as in addition to birth attendants. The group does not present itself to be a certified medical provider.

The Requirement for Protections and Improvements

There is no going back to a time when doctors were assumed to know best. Vast 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 increasingly sensational content.

In the UK, improvements to maternity services cannot come soon enough. They should include the choice of home birth and the availability of data to empower women in choosing their care. Policymakers and organizations such as the World Health Organization should also create plans for the online information landscape so that science-based healthcare is not undermined.