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Despite all the established progress of modern medicine, some people are attracted to non-traditional or “holistic” remedies and practices. Many of these do no harm. As a cancer specialist noted in the past year, people receiving cancer treatment will often try meditation or vitamins as well. When such a change is alongside, and not instead of, evidence-based treatment, this is typically not a concern. If it lessens distress, it can be beneficial.

The Rise of Online Health Figures

But the proliferation of online health influencers presents 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 pregnant mothers has exposed numerous cases of late-term stillbirths or other serious harm involving mothers or birth attendants associated with it. While the entity is headquartered in North Carolina, its influence is global.

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

Understanding the Dangers and Context

Childbirth without medical assistance, sometimes called free birth, is permitted in nations including the UK and US. The risks are not well understood due to a lack of data. Childbirth can be a frightening prospect, and high-quality care is not guaranteed. In England, a shocking recent report found two-thirds 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 justified. Many of the women spoken to for the inquiry had in the past undergone distressing births.

Distrust 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 converts to their unorthodox methods and DIY ethos. During the pandemic, a “wellness” industry supposedly focused on healthy living was involved in disseminating falsehoods about vaccines and fuelling paranoia about government advice.

Worry is growing that such beliefs are gaining more general purchase. One presentation given at a medical symposium focused on misinformation, which it said had “acutely worsened in the past decade”. The inquiry shows that behind the image of an rebellious community lies an enterprise that trains women as social media influencers as well as birth attendants. The organization does not present itself to be a qualified 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. Vast 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 poor advice. It is widely understood that the algorithms used by tech companies reward 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 provision of data to support women in making decisions. Ministers and bodies such as the World Health Organization should also create plans for the information ecosystem so that evidence-based healthcare is not undermined.