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Despite all the established advances of contemporary medicine, certain people are drawn to alternative or “natural” cures and practices. Many of these do no harm. As a cancer specialist noted recently, people receiving cancer treatment will often try meditation or vitamins as well. When such a practice is alongside, and not in place of, scientifically-backed treatment, this is typically not a concern. If it reduces distress, it can help.

The Rise of Digital Wellness Figures

But the proliferation of online health influencers poses problems that authorities and oversight bodies in many countries have not fully understood. An investigation into one such business providing membership and advice to pregnant mothers has revealed dozens cases of late-term stillbirths or other severe injury connected to mothers or birth attendants associated with it. While the entity is headquartered in North Carolina, its reach is global.

“For 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.

Understanding the Risks and Background

Giving birth without medical assistance, known as free birth, is legal in countries including the UK and US. The risks are not well understood due to a lack of data. Childbirth can be a frightening prospect, and excellent care is far from guaranteed. In England, a shocking recent 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 valid. A significant number of the women spoken to for the investigation had in the past experienced distressing births.

Distrust and the Proliferation of Falsehoods

But while distrust of institutions may be based on experience, it has also become a fertile ground for other influencers looking for followers to their unorthodox methods and DIY philosophy. During the pandemic, a “well-being” industry supposedly focused on healthy living was implicated in spreading falsehoods about vaccines and fuelling suspicion about government advice.

Worry is growing that such ideas are gaining more widespread purchase. One paper given at a cancer conference focused on misinformation, which it said had “significantly deteriorated in the past decade”. This investigation shows that behind the image of an anti-establishment community lies an enterprise that coaches women as social media influencers as in addition to birth attendants. The organization does not claim to be a qualified medical provider.

The Need for Protections and Reforms

There is no turning the clock 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 well known that the algorithms used by tech companies reward 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 empower women in choosing their care. Policymakers and organizations such as the World Health Organization should also develop strategies for the information ecosystem so that science-based healthcare is not undermined.