🔗 Share this article

Despite all the proven progress of contemporary medicine, some people are attracted to alternative or “natural” cures and approaches. Many of these are not dangerous. As a cancer specialist noted in the past year, people undergoing cancer treatment will often try meditation or vitamins as well. When such a practice is in addition to, 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 a particular organization offering membership and advice to expectant mothers has revealed numerous cases of late-term stillbirths or other serious harm involving mothers or birth attendants linked with it. While the entity is headquartered in North Carolina, its reach is international.

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

Examining the Risks and Context

Giving birth without medical assistance, sometimes called free birth, is permitted in countries including the UK and US. The risks are not well understood due to a lack of data. Childbirth can be a daunting experience, and high-quality care is far from guaranteed. In England, a shocking recent 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. Many of the women spoken to for the inquiry had previously experienced distressing births.

Distrust and the Spread of Misinformation

But while mistrust of established systems may be rooted in experience, it has also become a fertile ground for other influencers seeking converts to their unorthodox methods and DIY ethos. During the pandemic, a “wellness” industry supposedly focused on healthy living was involved in spreading falsehoods about vaccines and fuelling suspicion about government advice.

Concern is rising that such beliefs are acquiring more general purchase. One presentation given at a medical symposium focused on misinformation, which it said had “significantly deteriorated in the past decade”. The inquiry shows that behind the image of an rebellious sisterhood lies an operation that trains women as social media influencers as in addition to birth attendants. The group does not claim to be a certified medical provider.

The Need for Protections and Improvements

There is no going 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 increasingly sensational content.

In the UK, necessary reforms to childbirth care cannot come soon enough. 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 plans for the information ecosystem so that evidence-based healthcare is not compromised.