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Despite all the established advances of contemporary medicine, some people are attracted to alternative or “natural” remedies and practices. A number of these do no harm. 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 in place of, evidence-based treatment, this is usually not a problem. If it lessens distress, it can help.

The Proliferation of Online Wellness Figures

But the explosion of online health influencers poses problems that governments and oversight bodies in many countries have not fully understood. A recent inquiry into one such organization providing membership and advice to expectant mothers has exposed dozens cases of late-term fetal deaths or other serious harm connected to mothers or birth attendants associated with it. While the entity is headquartered in North Carolina, its influence is international.

“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 professor of midwifery.

Understanding the Dangers and Context

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

Criticisms of medical systems and particular, persistent issues with maternity care are in many cases justified. A significant number of the women spoken to for the investigation had in the past undergone distressing births.

Skepticism and the Proliferation of Falsehoods

But while mistrust of institutions may be rooted in experience, it has also proved to be a breeding ground for other influencers looking for converts to their unorthodox methods and DIY philosophy. During the pandemic, a “wellness” industry ostensibly focused on healthy living was involved in disseminating falsehoods about vaccines and feeding suspicion about official advice.

Worry is rising that such beliefs are acquiring more widespread traction. One paper 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 anti-establishment community lies an operation that coaches women as social media influencers as well as birth attendants. The organization does not claim to be a certified medical provider.

The Need for Protections 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 poor advice. It is widely understood that the automated systems used by tech companies promote 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 data to empower women in making decisions. Ministers and bodies such as the World Health Organization should also create strategies for the online information landscape so that evidence-based healthcare is not compromised.