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Despite all the established progress of contemporary medicine, some people are drawn to non-traditional or “natural” remedies and practices. Many of these are not dangerous. As one cancer specialist noted in the past year, people receiving cancer treatment will frequently try meditation or vitamins as well. When such a change is alongside, and not instead of, evidence-based treatment, this is usually not a problem. If it lessens distress, it can be beneficial.

The Rise of Online Wellness Figures

But the proliferation of online health influencers poses problems that authorities and regulators in many countries have yet to grasp. An investigation into a particular business offering membership and advice to expectant mothers has revealed dozens cases of late-term fetal deaths or other severe injury connected to mothers or birth attendants linked with it. While the company is based in North Carolina, its influence is global.

“For whole populations, going through labour and birth without professional support is linked to higher levels of risk for mother and baby,” as stated by a professor of midwifery.

Examining the Dangers and Context

Childbirth without medical assistance, known as free birth, is legal in nations including the UK and US. The risks are poorly documented due to a absence of reliable information. Childbirth can be a daunting prospect, and excellent care is not guaranteed. In England, a shocking recent report found a large majority of maternity units 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 experienced distressing births.

Skepticism and the Proliferation of Falsehoods

But while distrust of established systems may be rooted in experience, it has also become a breeding ground for other influencers looking for followers to their unconventional methods and DIY ethos. During the pandemic, a “well-being” industry supposedly focused on healthy living was involved in disseminating falsehoods about vaccines and fuelling paranoia about official advice.

Concern is growing that such ideas are gaining more widespread purchase. One presentation given at a medical symposium 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 operation that trains women as social media influencers as well as birth attendants. The organization does not present itself to be a certified medical provider.

The Need for Protections and Reforms

There is no turning the clock back to a time when doctors were presumed to know best. Huge 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 automated systems used by tech companies promote more extreme content.

In the UK, necessary reforms to maternity services are urgently needed. They should include the choice of home birth and the availability of data to empower women in choosing their care. Ministers and bodies such as the World Health Organization should also create strategies for the online information landscape so that science-based healthcare is not compromised.