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In spite of all the proven progress of modern medicine, certain people are drawn to alternative or “holistic” cures and approaches. Many of these do no harm. As a cancer specialist observed in the past year, people receiving cancer treatment will often try meditation or vitamins too. When such a practice is alongside, and not in place of, evidence-based treatment, this is usually not a concern. If it lessens distress, it can help.

The Proliferation of Digital Wellness Influencers

But the proliferation of online health influencers poses problems that governments and oversight bodies in many countries have yet to grasp. A recent inquiry into a particular organization offering membership and advice to expectant mothers has revealed dozens cases of third-trimester stillbirths or other serious harm involving mothers or birth attendants linked with it. While the entity is based in North Carolina, its reach is global.

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

Understanding the Risks and Background

Childbirth without medical assistance, known as free birth, is permitted in countries including the UK and US. The risks are poorly documented due to a lack of data. Childbirth can be a frightening experience, and high-quality care is not guaranteed. In England, a shocking recently published report found two-thirds of hospital maternity services to be unsafe or in need of improvement.

Concerns of medical systems and specific, longstanding issues with maternity care are in many cases justified. Many of the women interviewed for the investigation had in the past undergone distressing births.

Distrust and the Proliferation of Falsehoods

But while mistrust of established systems may be based on 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 “well-being” industry supposedly focused on healthy living was involved in disseminating falsehoods about vaccines and fuelling suspicion about official advice.

Concern is rising that such ideas are gaining more general 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 image of an anti-establishment sisterhood lies an operation that coaches women as social media influencers as well as birth attendants. The organization does not claim to be a qualified medical provider.

The Requirement for Safeguards and Improvements

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 widely understood that the automated systems used by tech companies reward more extreme content.

In the UK, improvements to maternity services are urgently needed. They should include the choice of home birth and the availability of data to empower women in making decisions. 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.