🔗 Share this article

In spite of all the established advances of contemporary medicine, some people are attracted to alternative or “holistic” cures and approaches. Many 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 reduces distress, it can help.

The Proliferation of Digital Wellness Figures

But the proliferation of online health influencers poses challenges that governments and regulators in many countries have not fully understood. An investigation into a particular organization offering membership and advice to expectant mothers has exposed dozens cases of third-trimester stillbirths or other severe injury connected to mothers or birth attendants associated with it. While the entity is headquartered in North Carolina, its influence 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 professor of midwifery.

Examining the Dangers and Context

Childbirth 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 lack of data. Childbirth can be a daunting prospect, and high-quality care is far from guaranteed. In England, a shocking recent report found two-thirds of maternity units 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 interviewed for the investigation had in the past undergone distressing births.

Skepticism and the Spread of Falsehoods

But while distrust of established systems may be based on experience, it has also proved to be a fertile ground for other influencers seeking converts to their unorthodox methods and DIY ethos. During the pandemic, a “well-being” industry ostensibly focused on healthy living was involved in spreading falsehoods about vaccines and fuelling suspicion about official advice.

Concern is growing that such ideas are gaining more widespread traction. One presentation given at a medical symposium focused on misinformation, which it said had “significantly deteriorated in the past decade”. This investigation shows that behind the facade of an anti-establishment community lies an enterprise that trains women as social media influencers as well as birth attendants. The organization does not present itself to be a certified medical provider.

The Need for Safeguards and Improvements

There is no turning the clock back to a time when doctors were presumed to know best. Huge quantities of scientific research are published online and many people use these to beneficial effect. But there is also a critical necessity for safeguards from dangerous advice. It is widely understood that the automated systems used by tech companies reward more extreme content.

In the UK, necessary reforms to maternity services are urgently needed. They should include the option of home birth and the provision of data to support women in making decisions. Policymakers and organizations such as the World Health Organization should also develop plans for the information ecosystem so that evidence-based healthcare is not undermined.