🔗 Share this article

Despite all the proven progress of contemporary medicine, certain people are attracted to non-traditional or “natural” remedies and practices. A number of these are not dangerous. As a cancer specialist observed in the past year, people undergoing cancer treatment will frequently try meditation or vitamins too. When such a change is alongside, and not in place of, scientifically-backed treatment, this is usually not a concern. If it lessens distress, it can help.

The Rise of Online Wellness Influencers

But the explosion of online health influencers poses problems that governments and oversight bodies in many countries have yet to grasp. An investigation into one such 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 linked with it. While the company is based in North Carolina, its reach 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 professor of midwifery.

Examining the Dangers and Context

Giving birth without medical assistance, sometimes called free birth, is permitted in countries including the UK and US. The potential dangers are not well understood due to a absence of data. Childbirth can be a frightening experience, and excellent care is not guaranteed. In England, a alarming 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. A significant number of the women interviewed for the inquiry had previously undergone distressing births.

Skepticism and the Spread 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 followers to their unconventional methods and DIY philosophy. During the pandemic, a “well-being” industry supposedly focused on healthy living was involved in disseminating lies about vaccines and fuelling paranoia about government advice.

Concern is growing that such beliefs are gaining more widespread traction. One paper given at a cancer conference focused on misinformation, which it said had “acutely worsened in the past decade”. The inquiry shows that behind the facade of an anti-establishment community lies an enterprise that trains women as social media influencers as in addition to 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 presumed to know best. Vast quantities of scientific research are published online and many people use these to positive effect. But there is also a critical necessity for safeguards from dangerous advice. It is well known that the algorithms used by tech companies reward more extreme content.

In the UK, necessary reforms to maternity services cannot come soon enough. They should include the choice of home birth and the provision of clear information to empower women in making decisions. Ministers and organizations including the World Health Organization should also create plans for the information ecosystem so that science-based healthcare is not undermined.