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Despite all the proven advances of contemporary medicine, some people are drawn to non-traditional or “holistic” cures and practices. Many of these do no harm. As a cancer specialist observed recently, people receiving cancer treatment will often try meditation or vitamins as well. When such a practice 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 Influencers

But the proliferation of online health influencers presents problems that governments and regulators in many countries have yet to grasp. An investigation into one such organization providing membership and advice to expectant mothers has exposed numerous cases of late-term stillbirths or other severe injury connected to mothers or birth attendants associated with it. While the entity is based in North Carolina, its reach is global.

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

Examining the Dangers and Background

Giving birth without medical assistance, known as free birth, is legal in countries including the UK and US. The potential dangers are not well understood due to a lack of data. Childbirth can be a daunting experience, and excellent care is not guaranteed. In England, a shocking recently published report found a large majority 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. A significant number of the women spoken to for the inquiry had previously undergone traumatic births.

Distrust and the Proliferation of Falsehoods

But while mistrust of institutions may be based on 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 implicated in disseminating falsehoods about vaccines and fuelling paranoia about official advice.

Concern is rising that such ideas are acquiring more general traction. One paper given at a medical symposium focused on misinformation, which it said had “acutely worsened in the past decade”. This investigation shows that behind the image of an anti-establishment sisterhood lies an operation that trains women as social media influencers as well as birth attendants. The group does not claim to be a certified medical provider.

The Requirement for Safeguards and Improvements

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 algorithms used by tech companies reward increasingly sensational content.

In the UK, improvements to childbirth care cannot come soon enough. They must include the option of home birth and the provision of clear information to support women in choosing their care. Ministers and organizations such as the World Health Organization should also develop strategies for the information ecosystem so that evidence-based healthcare is not compromised.