Almost three quarters of pregnant women are turning to the internet for medical advice, according to data from the GlobalWebIndex.
Figures revealed, among pregnant women who use the internet, 72% of them use it for medical advice, compared to 50% of the general population doing the same.
The data showed 55% of pregnant women use medical websites and the same number submit their queries to search engings, while 46% use online blogs and forums to source information.
Royal College of Midwives (RCM) director for England Jacque Gerrard said: ‘These are interesting statistics which highlight just how many women are seeking advice about their pregnancy on the internet.
‘There is a lot of good information and advice on the internet. Conversely there is a lot of bad advice and information. What is important is that women use the best possible evidence when they make decisions about their care.
‘I would urge women to exercise caution about what they find on the internet unless it is coming from reliable sources such as the NHS, the Department of Health, Public Health England, the RCM and other similar organisations.
‘While I would not discourage women from doing this of course, I would urge them to speak to their midwife if they have concerns and they will be able to support, advise and point them in the direction of trusted sources of information.’
GlobalWebIndex’s research is part of an on-going focus on internet users’ habits seeking advice on medicines, drugs and everyday ailments online. Each year, they interview over 350,000 internet users, aged 16-64.