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Despite all the established progress of modern medicine, some people are attracted to alternative or “natural” remedies and approaches. A number of these do no harm. 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 in addition to, and not in place of, evidence-based treatment, this is usually not a problem. If it lessens distress, it can be beneficial.

The Proliferation of Online Health Figures

But the explosion of online health influencers presents challenges that governments and regulators in many countries have not fully understood. A recent inquiry 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 headquartered in North Carolina, its influence is global.

“Across 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.

Examining the Risks and Context

Childbirth without medical assistance, sometimes called free birth, is legal in countries including the UK and US. The risks are not well understood due to a lack of reliable information. Childbirth can be a frightening experience, 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 specific, longstanding issues with maternity care are in many cases justified. A significant number of the women spoken to for the investigation had in the past experienced traumatic births.

Distrust and the Spread of Falsehoods

But while distrust of established systems may be based on experience, it has also become a fertile ground for other influencers looking for converts to their unconventional methods and DIY ethos. During the pandemic, a “wellness” industry supposedly focused on healthy living was implicated in disseminating lies about vaccines and fuelling paranoia about official advice.

Concern is growing that such beliefs 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 sisterhood lies an operation that trains women as social media influencers as in addition to birth attendants. The group does not present itself to be a qualified medical provider.

The Need 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 need for protections from poor advice. It is well known that the automated systems used by tech companies reward more extreme 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. Ministers and bodies such as the World Health Organization should also develop plans for the online information landscape so that science-based healthcare is not compromised.