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Despite all the established advances of contemporary medicine, certain people are attracted to non-traditional or “holistic” remedies and practices. Many of these are not dangerous. As a cancer specialist noted in the past year, people receiving cancer treatment will often try meditation or vitamins too. 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 help.

The Proliferation of Digital Health Figures

But the explosion of online health influencers presents problems that authorities and oversight bodies in many countries have yet to grasp. A recent inquiry into a particular organization offering membership and advice to pregnant mothers has exposed dozens cases of third-trimester stillbirths or other serious harm involving mothers or birth attendants associated with it. While the company is headquartered in North Carolina, its influence is global.

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

Understanding the Risks and Context

Giving birth without medical assistance, sometimes called 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 far from guaranteed. In England, a shocking recently published report found two-thirds of hospital maternity services to be unsafe or in need of improvement.

Criticisms of medical systems and particular, longstanding issues with maternity care are in many cases justified. Many of the women spoken to for the inquiry had in the past experienced distressing births.

Skepticism and the Spread of Falsehoods

But while mistrust of institutions may be rooted in experience, it has also proved to be a fertile ground for other influencers looking for followers to their unorthodox methods and DIY ethos. During the pandemic, a “well-being” industry supposedly focused on healthy living was involved in disseminating falsehoods about vaccines and feeding paranoia about official advice.

Concern is growing that such beliefs are gaining more widespread purchase. 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 facade of an rebellious sisterhood lies an operation that coaches women as social media influencers as well as birth attendants. The organization does not present itself 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. 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 dangerous advice. It is well known that the algorithms used by tech companies promote more extreme content.

In the UK, improvements to maternity services are urgently needed. They must include the choice of home birth and the provision of data to empower women in choosing their care. Policymakers and bodies including the World Health Organization should also create plans for the online information landscape so that evidence-based healthcare is not undermined.