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Despite all the proven advances of modern medicine, some people are drawn to non-traditional or “natural” cures and practices. A number of these are not dangerous. As a cancer specialist observed recently, people receiving cancer treatment will often try meditation or vitamins too. When such a change is alongside, and not in place of, scientifically-backed treatment, this is typically not a problem. If it lessens distress, it can help.

The Rise of Online Wellness Figures

But the explosion of online health influencers presents challenges that authorities and oversight bodies in many countries have not fully understood. A recent inquiry into one such business providing membership and advice to pregnant 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 based in North Carolina, its reach is global.

“Across whole populations, going through labour and birth without skilled support is linked to higher levels of risk for mother and baby,” according to a expert of midwifery.

Examining the Dangers and Context

Giving birth without medical assistance, sometimes called 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 excellent care is far from guaranteed. In England, a shocking recently published report found a large majority of hospital maternity services to be unsafe or in need of improvement.

Concerns of medical systems and particular, persistent issues with maternity care are in many cases valid. A significant number of the women interviewed for the investigation had in the past experienced distressing births.

Skepticism and the Proliferation of Misinformation

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

Concern is growing that such ideas are gaining more general purchase. One presentation given at a medical symposium focused on misinformation, which it said had “significantly deteriorated in the past decade”. This investigation 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 certified medical provider.

The Need for Safeguards 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 need for protections from poor advice. It is well known that the algorithms used by tech companies reward increasingly sensational content.

In the UK, improvements to childbirth care are urgently needed. They should include the choice of home birth and the provision of clear information to support women in making decisions. Policymakers and organizations such as the World Health Organization should also create strategies for the information ecosystem so that science-based healthcare is not undermined.