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Despite all the established progress of modern medicine, some people are drawn to non-traditional or “holistic” remedies and practices. A number of these are not dangerous. As one cancer specialist noted in the past year, people undergoing cancer treatment will often try meditation or vitamins as well. When such a practice is alongside, and not in place of, scientifically-backed treatment, this is typically not a concern. If it lessens distress, it can be beneficial.

The Rise of Online Wellness Influencers

But the proliferation of online health influencers poses problems that authorities and oversight bodies in many countries have not fully understood. A recent inquiry into a particular organization offering membership and advice to expectant mothers has exposed dozens cases of late-term stillbirths or other serious harm connected to mothers or birth attendants associated with it. While the company is based in North Carolina, its influence 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.

Examining the Risks and Context

Giving birth without medical assistance, known as free birth, is permitted in nations including the UK and US. The potential dangers are not well understood due to a lack of reliable information. Childbirth can be a frightening prospect, and excellent 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 particular, longstanding issues with maternity care are in many cases valid. A significant number of the women interviewed for the investigation had previously experienced traumatic births.

Skepticism and the Spread of Misinformation

But while distrust of established systems may be rooted in experience, it has also proved to be a fertile ground for other influencers looking for followers to their unconventional methods and DIY philosophy. During the pandemic, a “wellness” industry ostensibly focused on healthy living was involved in disseminating lies about vaccines and feeding suspicion about government advice.

Worry is rising that such beliefs are acquiring more general purchase. One presentation given at a cancer conference focused on misinformation, which it said had “acutely worsened in the past decade”. This investigation shows that behind the image of an anti-establishment community lies an operation that coaches women as social media influencers as well as birth attendants. The group does not present itself to be a certified 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. Huge quantities of scientific research are made available 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 reward increasingly sensational content.

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