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In spite of all the proven advances of modern medicine, certain people are drawn to non-traditional or “natural” cures and approaches. Many of these are not dangerous. As a cancer specialist noted in the past year, people undergoing cancer treatment will frequently try meditation or vitamins too. When such a change is alongside, and not instead of, evidence-based treatment, this is usually not a concern. If it lessens distress, it can help.

The Proliferation of Digital Wellness Figures

But the proliferation of online health influencers poses challenges that governments and regulators in many countries have not fully understood. An investigation into a particular organization offering membership and advice to pregnant mothers has exposed dozens cases of late-term stillbirths or other severe injury involving mothers or birth attendants linked with it. While the entity is headquartered in North Carolina, its reach is international.

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

Examining the Dangers and Background

Childbirth without medical assistance, known as free birth, is legal in countries including the UK and US. The risks are not well understood due to a absence of data. Childbirth can be a frightening experience, and high-quality care is far from guaranteed. In England, a shocking recent report found two-thirds of hospital maternity services to be unsafe or in need of improvement.

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

Distrust and the Spread of Misinformation

But while distrust of institutions may be rooted in experience, it has also become a fertile ground for other influencers seeking followers to their unconventional methods and DIY ethos. During the pandemic, a “well-being” industry ostensibly focused on healthy living was implicated in disseminating lies about vaccines and feeding suspicion about official advice.

Worry is growing that such ideas are acquiring more widespread purchase. One paper 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 sisterhood lies an enterprise that trains women as social media influencers as well as birth attendants. The organization does not present itself to be a certified medical provider.

The Requirement for Protections and Improvements

There is no turning the clock back to a time when doctors were presumed to know best. Huge quantities of scientific research are published online and many people use these to beneficial effect. But there is also a critical necessity for safeguards from dangerous advice. It is widely understood that the automated systems used by tech companies promote more extreme content.

In the UK, improvements to maternity services are urgently needed. They should include the option of home birth and the provision of data to support women in choosing their care. Policymakers and bodies such as the World Health Organization should also develop strategies for the online information landscape so that science-based healthcare is not undermined.