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Despite all the proven advances of contemporary medicine, some people are attracted to alternative or “holistic” cures and practices. A number of these do no harm. As a cancer specialist noted recently, people undergoing cancer treatment will often try meditation or vitamins as well. When such a change is alongside, and not in place of, scientifically-backed treatment, this is usually not a problem. If it lessens distress, it can help.

The Proliferation of Online Health Figures

But the explosion of online health influencers poses challenges that governments and regulators in many countries have not fully understood. A recent inquiry into one such organization offering membership and advice to expectant mothers has revealed dozens cases of late-term fetal deaths or other severe injury connected to mothers or birth attendants linked 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 professor of midwifery.

Understanding the Risks and Context

Giving birth without medical assistance, known as free birth, is permitted in countries including the UK and US. The risks are not well understood due to a lack of reliable information. Childbirth can be a daunting experience, and excellent care is not guaranteed. In England, a alarming recent report found a large majority 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 distressing births.

Distrust and the Spread of Misinformation

But while distrust of institutions may be rooted in experience, it has also proved to be a breeding ground for other influencers seeking followers to their unconventional methods and DIY philosophy. During the pandemic, a “wellness” industry supposedly focused on healthy living was involved in spreading lies about vaccines and feeding suspicion about government advice.

Concern is growing that such beliefs are acquiring more widespread 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 coaches women as social media influencers as in addition to birth attendants. The group does not present itself to be a qualified medical provider.

The Requirement for Protections and Reforms

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 need for protections from poor advice. It is widely understood that the automated systems used by tech companies reward increasingly sensational content.

In the UK, improvements to maternity services cannot come soon enough. They should include the choice of home birth and the availability of data to empower women in choosing their care. Policymakers and organizations such as the World Health Organization should also create plans for the online information landscape so that evidence-based healthcare is not undermined.