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Despite all the proven advances of contemporary medicine, some people are drawn to non-traditional or “holistic” remedies and approaches. Many 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 change is in addition to, and not instead of, evidence-based treatment, this is typically not a concern. If it reduces distress, it can be beneficial.

The Proliferation of Online Health Influencers

But the explosion of online health influencers poses problems that governments and oversight bodies in many countries have not fully understood. A recent inquiry into a particular organization providing membership and advice to expectant mothers has revealed numerous cases of late-term stillbirths or other severe injury involving mothers or birth attendants linked with it. While the company is headquartered in North Carolina, its influence is global.

“For 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 Risks and Context

Childbirth without medical assistance, known as free birth, is legal in nations including the UK and US. The risks are not well understood due to a absence of reliable information. Childbirth can be a frightening experience, 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, longstanding issues with maternity care are in many cases justified. Many of the women interviewed for the investigation had in the past experienced distressing births.

Distrust 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 converts to their unorthodox methods and DIY philosophy. During the pandemic, a “wellness” industry supposedly focused on healthy living was implicated in spreading lies about vaccines and fuelling suspicion about official advice.

Concern is rising that such beliefs are gaining more general traction. One presentation given at a cancer conference focused on misinformation, which it said had “acutely worsened in the past decade”. The inquiry shows that behind the facade of an rebellious community lies an enterprise that trains women as social media influencers as well as birth attendants. The group does not claim to be a certified medical provider.

The Requirement for Safeguards 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 safeguards from dangerous advice. It is widely understood that the automated systems used by tech companies promote increasingly sensational content.

In the UK, necessary reforms to maternity services are urgently needed. They must include the choice of home birth and the provision of data to empower women in making decisions. Ministers and organizations including the World Health Organization should also create strategies for the information ecosystem so that evidence-based healthcare is not undermined.