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Despite all the proven progress of contemporary medicine, certain people are drawn to non-traditional or “holistic” remedies and practices. Many of these do no harm. As a cancer specialist observed recently, people receiving cancer treatment will often try meditation or vitamins as well. When such a change is in addition to, and not in place of, scientifically-backed treatment, this is usually not a problem. If it reduces distress, it can help.

The Rise of Digital Health Influencers

But the explosion of online health influencers presents challenges that authorities and oversight bodies in many countries have not fully understood. An investigation into a particular business providing membership and advice to pregnant mothers has revealed numerous cases of third-trimester stillbirths or other serious harm 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,” as stated by a professor of midwifery.

Examining the Dangers and Context

Childbirth without medical assistance, sometimes called free birth, is legal in countries including the UK and US. The risks are poorly documented due to a lack of data. Childbirth can be a frightening prospect, and excellent care is far from 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 spoken to for the inquiry had previously experienced traumatic births.

Skepticism and the Spread of Falsehoods

But while distrust of institutions may be rooted in experience, it has also proved to be a breeding 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 fuelling paranoia about government advice.

Worry is growing that such beliefs are gaining more general purchase. One presentation given at a cancer conference 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 enterprise that trains women as social media influencers as in addition to birth attendants. The organization does not claim to be a certified medical provider.

The Need 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 made available online and many people use these to beneficial effect. But there is also a critical necessity for safeguards from dangerous advice. It is well known that the algorithms used by tech companies promote increasingly sensational content.

In the UK, necessary reforms to childbirth care are urgently needed. They must include the choice of home birth and the availability of data to support women in choosing their care. Policymakers and bodies such as the World Health Organization should also develop strategies for the information ecosystem so that science-based healthcare is not undermined.