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In spite of all the proven advances of contemporary medicine, certain people are attracted to non-traditional or “natural” remedies and practices. Many of these do no harm. As one cancer specialist observed recently, 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 usually not a concern. If it lessens distress, it can be beneficial.

The Proliferation of Online Health Influencers

But the explosion of online health influencers poses problems that governments and regulators in many countries have yet to grasp. An investigation into one such business providing membership and advice to expectant mothers has exposed dozens cases of third-trimester stillbirths or other serious harm involving mothers or birth attendants associated with it. While the entity is based in North Carolina, its influence is international.

“For 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 Context

Giving birth without medical assistance, known as free birth, is legal in nations 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 alarming recent report found a large majority 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 justified. A significant number of the women spoken to for the investigation had previously undergone distressing births.

Distrust and the Spread of Misinformation

But while mistrust 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 ethos. During the pandemic, a “well-being” industry supposedly focused on healthy living was involved in disseminating lies about vaccines and feeding paranoia about official advice.

Worry is rising that such ideas are acquiring more general purchase. 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 image of an anti-establishment community lies an operation that trains women as social media influencers as in addition to birth attendants. The organization does not claim to be a qualified medical provider.

The Need for Protections and Reforms

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 positive effect. But there is also a need for safeguards from dangerous advice. It is well known that the algorithms used by tech companies promote increasingly sensational content.

In the UK, improvements to maternity services cannot come soon enough. They must include the choice of home birth and the availability of clear information to support women in making decisions. Ministers and organizations including the World Health Organization should also create strategies for the online information landscape so that science-based healthcare is not compromised.