Despite all the proven advances of contemporary medicine, certain people are attracted to alternative or “natural” remedies and approaches. Many of these do no harm. As one cancer specialist observed 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 instead of, scientifically-backed treatment, this is typically not a problem. If it lessens distress, it can help.
But the explosion of online health influencers poses challenges that authorities and oversight bodies in many countries have not fully understood. An investigation into one such organization providing membership and advice to pregnant mothers has exposed numerous cases of third-trimester stillbirths or other severe injury connected to mothers or birth attendants associated with it. While the entity is headquartered in North Carolina, its influence is international.
“For whole populations, going through labour and birth without skilled support is associated with higher levels of risk for mother and baby,” according to a expert of midwifery.
Childbirth without medical assistance, sometimes called free birth, is legal in countries including the UK and US. The risks are poorly documented due to a absence of reliable information. Childbirth can be a daunting experience, and excellent care is far from guaranteed. In England, a shocking recently published report found two-thirds of maternity units to be unsafe or in need of improvement.
Concerns of medical systems and particular, persistent issues with maternity care are in many cases valid. Many of the women interviewed for the investigation had previously experienced distressing births.
But while distrust of established systems may be based on experience, it has also become a fertile ground for other influencers looking for converts to their unorthodox methods and DIY ethos. During the pandemic, a “well-being” industry supposedly focused on healthy living was implicated in disseminating lies about vaccines and fuelling paranoia about government advice.
Concern is growing that such ideas are gaining more widespread 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 operation that trains women as social media influencers as well as birth attendants. The organization does not claim to be a certified medical provider.
There is no going back to a time when doctors were presumed to know best. Huge quantities of scientific research are made available online and many people use these to beneficial effect. But there is also a need for protections from dangerous advice. It is widely understood that the automated systems used by tech companies promote more extreme content.
In the UK, improvements to maternity services cannot come soon enough. They must include the choice of home birth and the provision of data to empower women in making decisions. Policymakers and organizations including the World Health Organization should also create plans for the information ecosystem so that evidence-based healthcare is not undermined.
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