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Despite all the established advances of modern medicine, some people are drawn to alternative or “natural” cures and approaches. Many of these are not dangerous. As a cancer specialist noted in the past year, people receiving cancer treatment will frequently try meditation or vitamins too. When such a change is alongside, and not instead of, evidence-based treatment, this is usually not a problem. If it lessens distress, it can be beneficial.

The Proliferation of Digital Wellness Influencers

But the proliferation of online health influencers presents problems that authorities and regulators in many countries have not fully understood. An investigation into a particular business providing membership and advice to pregnant mothers has revealed dozens cases of third-trimester fetal deaths or other severe injury involving mothers or birth attendants linked with it. While the company 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 Dangers and Context

Giving birth without medical assistance, known as free birth, is legal in countries including the UK and US. The potential dangers are not well understood due to a lack of data. Childbirth can be a frightening experience, and excellent care is far from guaranteed. In England, a alarming recently published report found two-thirds of maternity units to be unsafe or in need of improvement.

Criticisms of medical systems and particular, longstanding issues with maternity care are in many cases justified. Many of the women interviewed for the investigation had in the past experienced distressing births.

Skepticism and the Spread of Misinformation

But while mistrust of established systems may be based on experience, it has also become a fertile ground for other influencers looking for followers to their unconventional methods and DIY ethos. During the pandemic, a “wellness” industry ostensibly focused on healthy living was involved in spreading lies about vaccines and fuelling paranoia about government advice.

Concern is rising that such ideas are acquiring more general purchase. One paper given at a cancer conference focused on misinformation, which it said had “acutely worsened in the past decade”. This investigation shows that behind the image of an rebellious sisterhood lies an enterprise 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 Requirement 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 need for protections from poor advice. It is widely understood that the algorithms used by tech companies promote more extreme content.

In the UK, necessary reforms to maternity services are urgently needed. They must include the option of home birth and the provision of data to support women in making decisions. Policymakers and bodies including the World Health Organization should also create strategies for the information ecosystem so that science-based healthcare is not compromised.