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In spite of all the proven advances of contemporary medicine, some people are attracted to alternative or “natural” remedies and practices. A number of these are not dangerous. As a cancer specialist noted in the past year, people receiving cancer treatment will often try meditation or vitamins too. When such a practice is alongside, and not in place of, evidence-based treatment, this is typically not a problem. If it reduces distress, it can help.

The Rise of Digital Wellness Figures

But the explosion of online health influencers presents problems that authorities and regulators in many countries have not fully understood. An investigation into a particular business offering membership and advice to expectant mothers has revealed dozens cases of late-term stillbirths or other serious harm connected to mothers or birth attendants associated with it. While the entity is based in North Carolina, its reach is global.

“Across whole populations, going through labour and birth without skilled support is associated with higher levels of risk for mother and baby,” according to a professor of midwifery.

Examining the Risks and Background

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

Concerns of medical systems and specific, longstanding issues with maternity care are in many cases valid. Many of the women interviewed for the investigation had in the past undergone distressing births.

Distrust and the Spread of Falsehoods

But while distrust of established systems may be rooted in experience, it has also become a fertile ground for other influencers seeking followers to their unconventional methods and DIY philosophy. During the pandemic, a “wellness” industry ostensibly focused on healthy living was involved in spreading lies about vaccines and fuelling suspicion about government advice.

Concern is rising that such ideas are gaining more general purchase. 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 community lies an operation that coaches women as social media influencers as in addition to birth attendants. The group does not claim to be a qualified medical provider.

The Need for Protections and Improvements

There is no turning the clock back to a time when doctors were presumed to know best. Vast quantities of scientific research are made available online and many people use these to positive effect. But there is also a need for protections from dangerous advice. It is widely understood that the automated systems used by tech companies promote increasingly sensational content.

In the UK, improvements to childbirth care are urgently needed. They should include the option of home birth and the provision of data to empower women in choosing their care. Ministers and bodies such as the World Health Organization should also create strategies for the information ecosystem so that science-based healthcare is not compromised.