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In spite of all the established progress of contemporary medicine, certain people are attracted to alternative or “natural” cures and approaches. Many of these do no harm. As one cancer specialist noted recently, people undergoing cancer treatment will often try meditation or vitamins too. When such a change is alongside, and not in place of, scientifically-backed treatment, this is usually not a problem. If it lessens distress, it can help.

The Rise of Digital Health Influencers

But the proliferation of online health influencers presents challenges that governments and oversight bodies in many countries have yet to grasp. An investigation into a particular business offering membership and advice to expectant mothers has exposed numerous cases of late-term stillbirths or other severe injury involving mothers or birth attendants associated with it. While the company is based in North Carolina, its reach is international.

“For whole populations, going through labour and birth without professional 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, sometimes called free birth, is permitted in countries including the UK and US. The potential dangers are not well understood due to a lack of data. Childbirth can be a frightening experience, and excellent care is far from guaranteed. In England, a shocking recent 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. Many of the women spoken to for the inquiry had in the past experienced traumatic births.

Distrust and the Proliferation of Falsehoods

But while mistrust of established systems may be rooted in 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 ostensibly focused on healthy living was implicated in disseminating lies about vaccines and fuelling suspicion about official advice.

Concern is rising that such ideas are gaining more widespread purchase. 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 rebellious sisterhood lies an enterprise that trains women as social media influencers as well as birth attendants. The group does not present itself to be a certified medical provider.

The Need for Safeguards and Reforms

There is no going back to a time when doctors were assumed to know best. Vast quantities of scientific research are made available online and many people use these to positive effect. But there is also a critical necessity for protections from poor advice. It is well known that the algorithms used by tech companies reward increasingly sensational content.

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