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Despite all the proven progress of modern medicine, some people are drawn to alternative or “natural” cures and approaches. Many of these are not dangerous. As one cancer specialist noted in the past year, people receiving cancer treatment will frequently try meditation or vitamins too. When such a practice is in addition to, and not in place of, scientifically-backed treatment, this is typically not a problem. If it lessens distress, it can be beneficial.

The Proliferation of Online Health Figures

But the explosion of online health influencers presents challenges that governments and regulators in many countries have not fully understood. A recent inquiry into one such business offering membership and advice to expectant mothers has exposed numerous cases of late-term fetal deaths or other severe injury connected to 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 linked to higher levels of risk for mother and baby,” according to a professor of midwifery.

Examining the Risks and Background

Giving birth without medical assistance, known as free birth, is legal in countries including the UK and US. The risks are poorly documented due to a absence of reliable information. Childbirth can be a frightening prospect, and excellent care is not guaranteed. In England, a shocking recent 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 valid. Many of the women interviewed for the inquiry had previously experienced traumatic 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 fertile ground for other influencers looking for followers to their unconventional methods and DIY philosophy. During the pandemic, a “well-being” industry ostensibly focused on healthy living was implicated in spreading lies about vaccines and feeding suspicion about government advice.

Concern is rising that such beliefs are gaining more general traction. One paper 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 rebellious sisterhood lies an enterprise that trains women as social media influencers as in addition to birth attendants. The group 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. Vast quantities of scientific research are published online and many people use these to positive effect. But there is also a critical necessity for protections from poor advice. It is well known that the algorithms used by tech companies reward more extreme content.

In the UK, improvements to childbirth care cannot come soon enough. They should include the choice of home birth and the provision of clear information to support women in making decisions. Policymakers and organizations including the World Health Organization should also create plans for the information ecosystem so that science-based healthcare is not undermined.