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Despite all the established advances of contemporary medicine, certain people are attracted to non-traditional or “holistic” remedies and practices. A number of these are not dangerous. As one cancer specialist observed recently, people undergoing cancer treatment will frequently try meditation or vitamins too. When such a practice is alongside, and not in place of, scientifically-backed treatment, this is usually not a concern. If it lessens distress, it can help.

The Proliferation of Digital Health Influencers

But the proliferation of online health influencers poses problems that governments and regulators in many countries have yet to grasp. A recent inquiry into a particular business providing membership and advice to expectant mothers has revealed numerous cases of third-trimester fetal deaths or other severe injury involving mothers or birth attendants linked with it. While the company is based in North Carolina, its reach is international.

“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 expert 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 not well understood due to a absence of reliable information. Childbirth can be a daunting prospect, and excellent care is far from guaranteed. In England, a shocking recent report found two-thirds of hospital maternity services to be unsafe or in need of improvement.

Criticisms of medical systems and particular, longstanding issues with maternity care are in many cases valid. A significant number of the women interviewed for the inquiry had in the past experienced traumatic births.

Skepticism and the Spread of Falsehoods

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 converts to their unorthodox methods and DIY ethos. During the pandemic, a “well-being” industry supposedly focused on healthy living was involved in disseminating lies about vaccines and feeding suspicion about government advice.

Concern is growing that such ideas are acquiring more general traction. One presentation given at a medical symposium focused on misinformation, which it said had “acutely worsened in the past decade”. This investigation shows that behind the facade of an anti-establishment sisterhood lies an operation that coaches women as social media influencers as well as birth attendants. The group does not claim to be a qualified medical provider.

The Need for Safeguards and Reforms

There is no going back to a time when doctors were assumed to know best. Vast quantities of scientific research are made available online and many people use these to beneficial effect. But there is also a need for protections from poor advice. It is widely understood that the algorithms used by tech companies reward increasingly sensational content.

In the UK, improvements to maternity services cannot come soon enough. They must include the option of home birth and the provision of data to support women in making decisions. Policymakers and bodies including the World Health Organization should also develop plans for the information ecosystem so that evidence-based healthcare is not compromised.