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In spite of all the established progress of modern medicine, some people are attracted to non-traditional or “natural” cures and practices. A number of these are not dangerous. As a cancer specialist observed recently, people receiving cancer treatment will often try meditation or vitamins too. When such a change is alongside, and not instead of, scientifically-backed treatment, this is usually not a problem. If it reduces distress, it can help.

The Proliferation of Digital Wellness Influencers

But the proliferation of online health influencers poses problems that authorities and regulators in many countries have yet to grasp. An investigation into one such organization providing membership and advice to expectant mothers has exposed dozens cases of third-trimester fetal deaths or other serious harm connected to mothers or birth attendants linked with it. While the company is based in North Carolina, its reach is international.

“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 professor of midwifery.

Examining the Dangers and Context

Childbirth without medical assistance, known as 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 daunting experience, and high-quality 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.

Concerns of medical systems and particular, longstanding issues with maternity care are in many cases justified. A significant number of the women interviewed for the investigation had in the past experienced traumatic births.

Distrust and the Proliferation of Falsehoods

But while distrust of institutions may be rooted in experience, it has also proved to be a fertile ground for other influencers looking for converts to their unorthodox methods and DIY philosophy. During the pandemic, a “wellness” industry supposedly focused on healthy living was implicated in disseminating falsehoods about vaccines and fuelling paranoia about government advice.

Worry is rising that such beliefs are acquiring more widespread purchase. One presentation given at a cancer conference focused on misinformation, which it said had “significantly deteriorated in the past decade”. This investigation shows that behind the facade of an anti-establishment sisterhood lies an enterprise that coaches 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 Safeguards and Reforms

There is no going 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 need for protections from dangerous advice. It is widely understood that the algorithms used by tech companies promote increasingly sensational content.

In the UK, necessary reforms to childbirth care cannot come soon enough. They should include the choice of home birth and the availability of data to support women in making decisions. Policymakers and bodies including the World Health Organization should also develop strategies for the online information landscape so that science-based healthcare is not undermined.