In spite of all the established progress of contemporary medicine, some people are attracted to non-traditional or “holistic” remedies and practices. Many of these do no harm. As a cancer specialist observed recently, people undergoing cancer treatment will often try meditation or vitamins as well. When such a change is alongside, and not in place of, evidence-based treatment, this is typically not a concern. If it lessens distress, it can be beneficial.
But the proliferation of online health influencers presents challenges that governments and regulators in many countries have yet to grasp. An investigation into one such business providing membership and advice to expectant mothers has revealed dozens cases of third-trimester stillbirths or other severe injury involving mothers or birth attendants associated with it. While the company is headquartered in North Carolina, its influence is international.
“For whole populations, going through labour and birth without skilled support is linked to higher levels of risk for mother and baby,” according to a expert of midwifery.
Giving birth without medical assistance, sometimes called free birth, is permitted in nations including the UK and US. The potential dangers are not well understood due to a lack of data. Childbirth can be a daunting 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.
Concerns of medical systems and specific, longstanding issues with maternity care are in many cases valid. A significant number of the women spoken to for the inquiry had in the past experienced traumatic births.
But while distrust of institutions may be based on experience, it has also become a breeding ground for other influencers seeking followers to their unorthodox methods and DIY philosophy. During the pandemic, a “well-being” industry supposedly focused on healthy living was implicated in spreading lies about vaccines and feeding paranoia about official advice.
Worry is rising that such beliefs 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”. The inquiry shows that behind the facade of an anti-establishment community lies an operation that trains women as social media influencers as in addition to birth attendants. The group does not present itself to be a qualified medical provider.
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 beneficial effect. But there is also a critical necessity for safeguards from dangerous advice. It is widely understood that the automated systems used by tech companies promote increasingly sensational content.
In the UK, improvements to maternity services cannot come soon enough. They must include the option of home birth and the provision of data to support women in choosing their care. Policymakers and organizations including the World Health Organization should also create strategies for the information ecosystem so that evidence-based healthcare is not compromised.
A tech enthusiast and gaming aficionado with over a decade of experience in digital media and content creation.
