🔗 Share this article

In spite of all the proven advances of modern medicine, some people are attracted to non-traditional or “holistic” remedies and practices. Many of these are not dangerous. As a cancer specialist observed recently, people receiving cancer treatment will frequently try meditation or vitamins too. When such a change is alongside, and not in place of, scientifically-backed treatment, this is usually not a concern. If it lessens distress, it can be beneficial.

The Rise of Digital Wellness Influencers

But the explosion of online health influencers poses problems that governments and oversight bodies in many countries have yet to grasp. An investigation into one such organization providing membership and advice to expectant mothers has revealed dozens cases of late-term stillbirths or other serious harm involving mothers or birth attendants associated with it. While the company is based in North Carolina, its influence is global.

“For 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.

Examining the Risks and Context

Childbirth without medical assistance, sometimes called free birth, is permitted in nations including the UK and US. The risks are not well understood due to a absence of data. Childbirth can be a daunting prospect, and high-quality care is not guaranteed. In England, a alarming recent report found two-thirds of hospital maternity services to be unsafe or in need of improvement.

Criticisms of medical systems and specific, longstanding issues with maternity care are in many cases valid. A significant number of the women interviewed for the investigation 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 become a fertile 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 disseminating falsehoods about vaccines and feeding paranoia about government advice.

Worry is growing that such beliefs are acquiring more general traction. 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 community lies an enterprise that coaches 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 Safeguards 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 poor advice. It is widely understood that the automated systems used by tech companies promote increasingly sensational content.

In the UK, improvements to childbirth care cannot come soon enough. They should include the choice of home birth and the availability of data to support women in choosing their care. Policymakers and bodies such as the World Health Organization should also create strategies for the online information landscape so that evidence-based healthcare is not compromised.