🔗 Share this article Pregnancy Advocates: The Public Requires Protecting from Harmful Advice. In spite of all the established progress of modern medicine, some people are attracted to non-traditional or “natural” remedies and practices. A number of these do no harm. As a cancer specialist noted recently, people undergoing cancer treatment will frequently try meditation or vitamins as well. When such a practice is alongside, and not in place of, scientifically-backed treatment, this is usually not a concern. If it reduces distress, it can be beneficial. The Proliferation of Online Health Figures But the proliferation of online health influencers presents challenges that governments and regulators in many countries have yet to grasp. A recent inquiry into one such organization offering membership and advice to pregnant mothers has exposed numerous cases of late-term fetal deaths or other serious harm involving mothers or birth attendants associated with it. While the company is based in North Carolina, its influence is global. “Across whole populations, going through labour and birth without professional support is linked to higher levels of risk for mother and baby,” as stated by a expert of midwifery. Examining the Risks and Context Childbirth without medical assistance, sometimes called free birth, is legal in nations including the UK and US. The risks are poorly documented due to a absence of data. Childbirth can be a frightening experience, and excellent care is far from guaranteed. In England, a shocking recent report found a large majority of hospital maternity services to be unsafe or in need of improvement. Criticisms of medical systems and particular, longstanding issues with maternity care are in many cases justified. Many of the women interviewed for the inquiry had previously experienced traumatic births. Skepticism and the Proliferation of Misinformation But while mistrust of established systems may be rooted in experience, it has also become a fertile ground for other influencers seeking followers to their unorthodox methods and DIY ethos. During the pandemic, a “well-being” industry ostensibly focused on healthy living was involved in spreading lies about vaccines and fuelling paranoia about official advice. Concern is growing that such ideas are gaining more general purchase. One paper 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 community lies an enterprise that trains women as social media influencers as well as birth attendants. The organization does not claim to be a qualified medical provider. The Requirement for Protections and Reforms There is no turning the clock 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 protections from poor advice. It is widely understood that the algorithms used by tech companies reward more extreme content. In the UK, improvements to childbirth care are urgently needed. They should include the choice of home birth and the provision of clear information to support women in choosing their care. Ministers and bodies such as the World Health Organization should also create strategies for the online information landscape so that science-based healthcare is not compromised.