Pregnancy Advocates: Society Requires Safeguarding from Harmful Guidance.

Despite all the established advances of modern medicine, certain people are attracted to alternative or “holistic” cures and practices. A number of these are not dangerous. As one cancer specialist noted recently, people undergoing cancer treatment will often try meditation or vitamins as well. When such a change is in addition to, and not instead of, evidence-based treatment, this is typically not a concern. If it reduces distress, it can help.

The Proliferation of Online Health 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 organization providing membership and advice to expectant mothers has revealed numerous cases of third-trimester 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 professional support is linked to higher levels of risk for mother and baby,” according to a professor of midwifery.

Examining the Risks and Context

Childbirth without medical assistance, known as free birth, is legal in countries including the UK and US. The potential dangers are poorly documented due to a lack of data. Childbirth can be a frightening experience, and excellent 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 particular, longstanding issues with maternity care are in many cases valid. Many of the women spoken to for the investigation had in the past experienced distressing births.

Skepticism and the Spread of Misinformation

But while distrust of institutions may be based on experience, it has also become a breeding ground for other influencers looking for followers to their unorthodox methods and DIY ethos. During the pandemic, a “well-being” industry ostensibly focused on healthy living was implicated in disseminating falsehoods about vaccines and fuelling paranoia about government advice.

Worry is rising 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 facade of an rebellious sisterhood lies an enterprise that trains women as social media influencers as well as birth attendants. The group does not claim to be a certified medical provider.

The Need for Protections and Improvements

There is no turning the clock back to a time when doctors were assumed to know best. Huge quantities of scientific research are published online and many people use these to beneficial effect. But there is also a critical necessity for protections from dangerous advice. It is well known that the algorithms used by tech companies reward more extreme content.

In the UK, improvements to maternity services cannot come soon enough. They must include the option of home birth and the availability of clear information to empower women in making decisions. Policymakers and organizations including the World Health Organization should also develop plans for the information ecosystem so that evidence-based healthcare is not compromised.