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In spite of all the established advances of modern medicine, certain people are attracted to non-traditional or “natural” cures and approaches. Many of these do no harm. As one cancer specialist noted recently, people receiving cancer treatment will often try meditation or vitamins as well. When such a practice is in addition to, and not instead of, scientifically-backed treatment, this is typically not a concern. If it reduces distress, it can help.

The Proliferation of Online Health Figures

But the proliferation of online health influencers poses challenges that authorities and oversight bodies in many countries have not fully understood. A recent inquiry into one such business providing membership and advice to pregnant mothers has exposed dozens cases of third-trimester stillbirths or other severe injury involving mothers or birth attendants linked with it. While the company is headquartered in North Carolina, its reach is international.

“For whole populations, going through labour and birth without professional support is associated with higher levels of risk for mother and baby,” as stated by a professor of midwifery.

Examining the Risks and Context

Giving birth without medical assistance, sometimes called free birth, is permitted in nations including the UK and US. The potential dangers are not well understood due to a lack of data. Childbirth can be a daunting experience, and excellent care is far from guaranteed. In England, a shocking recently published report found two-thirds of maternity units to be unsafe or in need of improvement.

Criticisms of medical systems and particular, longstanding issues with maternity care are in many cases justified. Many of the women spoken to for the investigation had in the past undergone distressing births.

Distrust and the Proliferation of Misinformation

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

Worry is growing that such beliefs 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”. This investigation shows that behind the image of an anti-establishment sisterhood lies an enterprise that coaches 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 Protections and Reforms

There is no turning the clock back to a time when doctors were presumed to know best. Vast quantities of scientific research are published online and many people use these to beneficial effect. But there is also a critical necessity for protections from poor 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 option of home birth and the availability of clear information to support women in making decisions. Policymakers and bodies such as the World Health Organization should also create plans for the information ecosystem so that science-based healthcare is not compromised.