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Despite all the proven advances of modern medicine, certain people are drawn to alternative or “holistic” remedies and practices. A number of these do no harm. As a cancer specialist noted recently, people receiving cancer treatment will frequently try meditation or vitamins as well. When such a practice is alongside, and not instead of, scientifically-backed treatment, this is usually not a problem. If it lessens distress, it can be beneficial.

The Proliferation of Online Health Influencers

But the explosion of online health influencers poses challenges that authorities and oversight bodies in many countries have yet to grasp. An investigation into a particular business providing membership and advice to pregnant mothers has revealed numerous cases of late-term stillbirths or other serious harm involving mothers or birth attendants associated with it. While the entity is headquartered in North Carolina, its reach is global.

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

Examining the Dangers and Context

Giving birth without medical assistance, sometimes called free birth, is permitted in countries including the UK and US. The potential dangers are poorly documented due to a lack of data. Childbirth can be a frightening prospect, and high-quality care is far from guaranteed. In England, a alarming recently published report found a large majority of maternity units to be unsafe or in need of improvement.

Concerns of medical systems and particular, longstanding issues with maternity care are in many cases justified. Many of the women spoken to for the investigation had in the past undergone distressing births.

Skepticism and the Spread of Falsehoods

But while mistrust of institutions may be based on experience, it has also proved to be a fertile ground for other influencers looking for followers to their unorthodox methods and DIY ethos. During the pandemic, a “well-being” industry ostensibly focused on healthy living was implicated in spreading falsehoods about vaccines and feeding suspicion about government advice.

Worry is growing that such ideas are gaining more widespread traction. One paper given at a medical symposium focused on misinformation, which it said had “acutely worsened in the past decade”. The inquiry shows that behind the facade of an anti-establishment community lies an enterprise that coaches women as social media influencers as well as birth attendants. The group does not claim to be a qualified medical provider.

The Requirement for Protections and Reforms

There is no turning the clock back to a time when doctors were assumed to know best. Vast quantities of scientific research are published online and many people use these to positive effect. But there is also a critical necessity for protections from dangerous advice. It is well known that the algorithms used by tech companies promote more extreme content.

In the UK, necessary reforms to childbirth care cannot come soon enough. They must include the option of home birth and the provision of clear information to support women in making decisions. Ministers and organizations including the World Health Organization should also develop plans for the online information landscape so that evidence-based healthcare is not compromised.