🔗 Share this article

In spite of all the proven progress of modern medicine, some people are attracted to alternative or “natural” remedies and practices. A number of these do no harm. As a cancer specialist observed in the past year, people undergoing cancer treatment will often try meditation or vitamins as well. When such a change is alongside, and not instead of, scientifically-backed treatment, this is usually not a problem. If it lessens distress, it can be beneficial.

The Rise of Digital Health Influencers

But the explosion of online health influencers presents problems that authorities and regulators in many countries have not fully understood. An investigation into one such organization offering membership and advice to pregnant mothers has revealed numerous cases of third-trimester 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 international.

“Across 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.

Understanding the Risks and Context

Giving birth without medical assistance, sometimes called free birth, is legal in countries including the UK and US. The potential dangers are poorly documented due to a lack of data. Childbirth can be a frightening prospect, and high-quality care is not guaranteed. In England, a shocking 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 valid. Many of the women interviewed for the inquiry had previously undergone traumatic 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 looking for converts to their unorthodox 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 suspicion about government advice.

Concern is rising that such beliefs are acquiring more general traction. One paper 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 operation that trains women as social media influencers as well as birth attendants. The group does not present itself to be a certified medical provider.

The Requirement 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 made available online and many people use these to positive effect. But there is also a need for safeguards from dangerous advice. It is well known that the automated systems used by tech companies promote 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 data to support women in making decisions. Ministers and bodies including the World Health Organization should also develop strategies for the online information landscape so that science-based healthcare is not compromised.