🔗 Share this article

Despite all the established progress of contemporary medicine, certain people are drawn to alternative or “natural” remedies and practices. A number of these are not dangerous. As a cancer specialist noted in the past year, people undergoing cancer treatment will frequently try meditation or vitamins as well. When such a change is in addition to, and not instead of, scientifically-backed treatment, this is usually not a concern. If it reduces distress, it can help.

The Proliferation of Online Wellness Figures

But the explosion of online health influencers poses problems that authorities and regulators in many countries have not fully understood. An investigation into a particular business offering membership and advice to pregnant mothers has revealed numerous cases of late-term fetal deaths or other serious harm connected to mothers or birth attendants associated with it. While the company is headquartered in North Carolina, its reach is global.

“Across whole populations, going through labour and birth without skilled support is associated with higher levels of risk for mother and baby,” as stated by a professor of midwifery.

Understanding the Risks and Context

Childbirth without medical assistance, known as free birth, is legal in countries including the UK and US. The risks are not well understood due to a lack of reliable information. Childbirth can be a frightening experience, and excellent care is far from guaranteed. In England, a alarming recent 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 justified. Many of the women spoken to for the inquiry had previously undergone traumatic births.

Distrust and the Spread of Misinformation

But while distrust of established systems may be rooted in experience, it has also proved to be a fertile ground for other influencers looking for followers to their unorthodox methods and DIY philosophy. During the pandemic, a “wellness” industry ostensibly focused on healthy living was involved in disseminating falsehoods about vaccines and feeding suspicion about official advice.

Worry is growing that such ideas are acquiring more widespread purchase. 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 sisterhood lies an operation that trains women as social media influencers as in addition to birth attendants. The organization does not claim to be a qualified medical provider.

The Need for Protections and Improvements

There is no turning the clock back to a time when doctors were assumed to know best. Huge quantities of scientific research are made available online and many people use these to positive effect. But there is also a need for protections from poor advice. It is widely understood that the algorithms used by tech companies reward more extreme content.

In the UK, improvements to maternity services cannot come soon enough. They must include the choice of home birth and the availability of data to support women in choosing their care. Policymakers and bodies including the World Health Organization should also create plans for the information ecosystem so that science-based healthcare is not compromised.