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In spite of all the established advances of modern medicine, certain people are attracted to non-traditional or “natural” cures and practices. Many of these are not dangerous. As a cancer specialist noted recently, people undergoing cancer treatment will often try meditation or vitamins as well. When such a practice is alongside, and not in place of, evidence-based treatment, this is usually not a concern. If it reduces distress, it can be beneficial.

The Rise of Online Wellness Figures

But the proliferation of online health influencers poses challenges that authorities and oversight bodies in many countries have not fully understood. An investigation into a particular organization providing membership and advice to expectant mothers has exposed numerous cases of late-term stillbirths or other severe injury involving mothers or birth attendants linked with it. While the company is headquartered in North Carolina, its reach 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 expert of midwifery.

Understanding the Risks and Background

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 reliable information. Childbirth can be a daunting prospect, and excellent care is not guaranteed. In England, a alarming recent report found two-thirds of hospital maternity services to be unsafe or in need of improvement.

Concerns of medical systems and particular, persistent issues with maternity care are in many cases justified. A significant number of the women interviewed for the inquiry had previously experienced traumatic births.

Distrust and the Spread of Falsehoods

But while mistrust of established systems may be rooted in experience, it has also become a fertile ground for other influencers seeking converts to their unorthodox methods and DIY philosophy. During the pandemic, a “wellness” industry supposedly focused on healthy living was implicated in spreading falsehoods about vaccines and fuelling paranoia about government advice.

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

The Need for Protections 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 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 reward increasingly sensational content.

In the UK, improvements to childbirth care cannot come soon enough. They must include the choice of home birth and the availability of data to empower women in making decisions. Policymakers and bodies including the World Health Organization should also create strategies for the online information landscape so that evidence-based healthcare is not compromised.