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Despite all the established advances of modern medicine, some people are attracted to non-traditional or “holistic” cures and practices. Many of these do no harm. As a cancer specialist noted recently, people undergoing cancer treatment will often try meditation or vitamins as well. When such a practice is in addition to, and not instead of, evidence-based treatment, this is typically not a problem. If it reduces distress, it can be beneficial.

The Proliferation of Digital Health Figures

But the explosion of online health influencers presents challenges that authorities and oversight bodies in many countries have not fully understood. A recent inquiry into one such business offering membership and advice to expectant mothers has exposed numerous cases of third-trimester stillbirths or other severe injury involving mothers or birth attendants linked with it. While the company is based 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,” according to a expert of midwifery.

Understanding the Dangers and Background

Giving birth without medical assistance, sometimes called free birth, is legal in nations including the UK and US. The risks are poorly documented due to a lack of reliable information. Childbirth can be a frightening experience, and excellent care is far from guaranteed. In England, a shocking recently published report found a large majority of hospital maternity services to be unsafe or in need of improvement.

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

Distrust and the Spread of Misinformation

But while mistrust of established systems may be based on experience, it has also proved to be a breeding ground for other influencers seeking converts to their unconventional methods and DIY ethos. During the pandemic, a “well-being” industry supposedly focused on healthy living was involved in disseminating falsehoods about vaccines and fuelling paranoia about government advice.

Concern is growing that such ideas are gaining more widespread 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 sisterhood lies an operation that coaches women as social media influencers as well as birth attendants. The organization does not present itself 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. Huge quantities of scientific research are published online and many people use these to positive effect. But there is also a need for protections from poor advice. It is widely understood that the automated systems used by tech companies reward increasingly sensational content.

In the UK, necessary reforms to maternity services are urgently needed. They should include the choice of home birth and the provision of clear information to empower women in choosing their care. Policymakers and bodies including the World Health Organization should also create plans for the online information landscape so that evidence-based healthcare is not undermined.