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In spite of all the proven advances of modern medicine, certain people are attracted to non-traditional or “holistic” cures and practices. Many of these do no harm. As a cancer specialist noted in the past year, people receiving cancer treatment will often try meditation or vitamins too. When such a change is alongside, and not in place of, evidence-based treatment, this is usually not a problem. If it lessens distress, it can be beneficial.

The Proliferation of Digital Wellness Figures

But the explosion of online health influencers presents challenges that governments and regulators in many countries have yet to grasp. A recent inquiry into one such organization offering membership and advice to pregnant mothers has exposed dozens cases of late-term fetal deaths or other serious harm connected to mothers or birth attendants linked 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 linked to higher levels of risk for mother and baby,” according to a professor of midwifery.

Examining the Risks and Context

Childbirth without medical assistance, known as free birth, is permitted in nations including the UK and US. The potential dangers are poorly documented due to a lack of reliable information. Childbirth can be a frightening experience, and high-quality care is far from guaranteed. In England, a alarming recently published report found a large majority of maternity units to be unsafe or in need of improvement.

Concerns of medical systems and specific, persistent issues with maternity care are in many cases valid. Many of the women spoken to for the inquiry had in the past undergone traumatic births.

Distrust and the Proliferation of Misinformation

But while distrust of established systems may be rooted in experience, it has also become a breeding ground for other influencers looking for followers to their unconventional methods and DIY philosophy. During the pandemic, a “wellness” industry supposedly focused on healthy living was implicated in disseminating lies about vaccines and fuelling suspicion about official advice.

Concern is growing that such ideas are gaining more widespread traction. One paper given at a cancer conference focused on misinformation, which it said had “significantly deteriorated in the past decade”. The inquiry shows that behind the image of an rebellious sisterhood lies an operation that coaches women as social media influencers as in addition to birth attendants. The organization does not claim to be a certified 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 published online and many people use these to beneficial effect. But there is also a critical necessity for protections from dangerous advice. It is widely understood that the algorithms used by tech companies promote more extreme content.

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