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In spite of all the proven advances of modern medicine, certain people are attracted to non-traditional or “natural” cures and practices. Many 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 typically not a concern. If it reduces distress, it can help.

The Rise of Digital Health Figures

But the explosion of online health influencers presents problems that governments and oversight bodies in many countries have yet to grasp. An investigation into a particular organization offering membership and advice to pregnant mothers has exposed numerous cases of third-trimester stillbirths or other severe injury connected to mothers or birth attendants associated with it. While the company is based in North Carolina, its reach is global.

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

Understanding 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 data. Childbirth can be a frightening prospect, and excellent care is far from guaranteed. In England, a alarming recent report found two-thirds of hospital maternity services to be unsafe or in need of improvement.

Criticisms 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 undergone distressing births.

Skepticism and the Proliferation of Falsehoods

But while distrust of institutions may be rooted in experience, it has also proved to be a breeding ground for other influencers looking for converts to their unorthodox methods and DIY philosophy. During the pandemic, a “wellness” industry ostensibly focused on healthy living was involved in disseminating lies about vaccines and fuelling suspicion about official advice.

Worry is rising that such ideas are gaining more general purchase. One presentation given at a cancer conference 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 operation that trains women as social media influencers as well as birth attendants. The group does not claim to be a qualified medical provider.

The Requirement 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 critical necessity for safeguards from dangerous advice. It is widely understood that the automated systems used by tech companies reward increasingly sensational content.

In the UK, improvements to maternity services cannot come soon enough. They must include the option of home birth and the provision of clear information to support women in choosing their care. Policymakers and organizations such as the World Health Organization should also develop strategies for the information ecosystem so that evidence-based healthcare is not undermined.