🔗 Share this article

Despite all the proven progress of modern medicine, some people are attracted to non-traditional or “holistic” remedies and approaches. Many of these do no harm. As a cancer specialist noted in the past year, people receiving cancer treatment will frequently try meditation or vitamins as well. When such a change is in addition to, and not in place of, evidence-based treatment, this is typically not a problem. If it reduces distress, it can help.

The Proliferation of Digital Health Influencers

But the explosion of online health influencers presents challenges that governments and oversight bodies in many countries have not fully understood. A recent inquiry into one such business offering membership and advice to expectant mothers has revealed dozens cases of third-trimester fetal deaths or other severe injury involving mothers or birth attendants linked with it. While the entity is headquartered in North Carolina, its influence is global.

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

Examining the Risks and Context

Childbirth without medical assistance, sometimes called free birth, is permitted in nations including the UK and US. The potential dangers are not well understood due to a absence of reliable information. Childbirth can be a daunting experience, and high-quality care is not guaranteed. In England, a alarming recently published report found two-thirds of maternity units to be unsafe or in need of improvement.

Criticisms 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 traumatic births.

Distrust and the Spread of Falsehoods

But while mistrust of institutions may be based on experience, it has also become a breeding ground for other influencers looking for converts to their unconventional methods and DIY ethos. During the pandemic, a “wellness” industry supposedly focused on healthy living was implicated in disseminating falsehoods about vaccines and feeding suspicion about official advice.

Concern is growing that such beliefs 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”. The inquiry shows that behind the facade of an anti-establishment sisterhood lies an enterprise that trains women as social media influencers as in addition to birth attendants. The group does not claim to be a qualified medical provider.

The Need for Protections and Improvements

There is no going back to a time when doctors were assumed 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 need for safeguards from dangerous advice. It is widely understood that the automated systems 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 clear information to support women in choosing their care. Ministers and bodies such as the World Health Organization should also create plans for the online information landscape so that science-based healthcare is not compromised.