🔗 Share this article

Despite all the established progress of modern medicine, some people are attracted to non-traditional or “natural” cures and practices. Many of these do no harm. As a cancer specialist observed recently, people receiving cancer treatment will frequently try meditation or vitamins too. When such a practice is alongside, and not instead of, scientifically-backed treatment, this is usually not a concern. If it lessens distress, it can help.

The Rise of Online Health Figures

But the explosion of online health influencers poses problems that governments and oversight bodies 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 third-trimester fetal deaths or other severe injury connected to mothers or birth attendants linked with it. While the company is based in North Carolina, its influence 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 expert of midwifery.

Examining the Dangers and Context

Childbirth without medical assistance, known as free birth, is legal in nations including the UK and US. The risks are not well understood due to a absence of reliable information. Childbirth can be a daunting 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, persistent issues with maternity care are in many cases valid. A significant number of the women interviewed for the inquiry had in the past experienced traumatic births.

Distrust and the Spread of Falsehoods

But while mistrust of institutions may be rooted in experience, it has also become a breeding ground for other influencers looking for converts to their unconventional methods and DIY ethos. During the pandemic, a “well-being” industry ostensibly focused on healthy living was involved in spreading falsehoods about vaccines and feeding paranoia about government advice.

Worry is rising that such beliefs 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 anti-establishment community lies an operation that trains women as social media influencers as in addition to birth attendants. The group does not claim to be a qualified medical provider.

The Need for Protections and Reforms

There is no going back to a time when doctors were assumed 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 critical necessity for safeguards from dangerous advice. It is widely understood that the algorithms used by tech companies promote increasingly sensational content.

In the UK, necessary reforms to maternity services cannot come soon enough. They should include the option of home birth and the provision of data to support women in making decisions. Policymakers and bodies such as the World Health Organization should also develop strategies for the information ecosystem so that evidence-based healthcare is not compromised.