In spite of all the proven advances of modern medicine, certain people are drawn to alternative or “holistic” remedies and practices. A number of these do no harm. As a cancer specialist noted in the past year, people receiving cancer treatment will often try meditation or vitamins as well. When such a practice is alongside, and not instead of, evidence-based treatment, this is typically not a concern. If it reduces distress, it can help.
But the proliferation of online health influencers poses problems that governments and oversight bodies in many countries have not fully understood. An investigation into a particular organization providing membership and advice to pregnant mothers has exposed numerous cases of third-trimester fetal deaths or other severe injury connected to mothers or birth attendants associated with it. While the entity is headquartered in North Carolina, its reach is international.
“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 expert of midwifery.
Giving birth without medical assistance, sometimes called free birth, is legal in nations including the UK and US. The potential dangers are not well understood due to a absence of reliable information. Childbirth can be a frightening prospect, and high-quality care is not guaranteed. In England, a alarming recently published report found two-thirds of maternity units to be unsafe or in need of improvement.
Criticisms of medical systems and particular, longstanding issues with maternity care are in many cases valid. Many of the women spoken to for the inquiry had in the past undergone distressing births.
But while distrust of established systems may be based on experience, it has also proved to be a breeding ground for other influencers seeking followers to their unconventional methods and DIY ethos. During the pandemic, a “well-being” industry supposedly focused on healthy living was implicated in spreading falsehoods about vaccines and feeding suspicion about government advice.
Concern is growing that such ideas are gaining more general 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 facade of an rebellious sisterhood lies an enterprise that trains women as social media influencers as well as 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 presumed to know best. Huge quantities of scientific research are published online and many people use these to positive effect. But there is also a critical necessity for safeguards from poor advice. It is well known that the automated systems used by tech companies promote more extreme content.
In the UK, necessary reforms to childbirth care are urgently needed. They should include the option of home birth and the provision 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.
