Internet Scrub Project

Press Release

EMBARGOED UNTIL 3^RD MARCH

Kicks Count, a leading UK charity, is excited to announce a new partnership with PUSH for empowered Pregnancy, a US-based non-profit organization. Together, the two organizations are launching the Internet Scrub Initiative, a campaign designed to combat outdated and potentially harmful information about fetal movements online.

Research has shown that reduced fetal movement can be an early warning sign of potential complications in pregnancy, including an increased risk of stillbirth. The UK has a high stillbirth rate and is the leading cause of death for children between 24 weeks gestation (when a baby could survive outside the womb) and 4 years old. Studies have shown that 50% of mothers that had a stillbirth noticed a reduction in their babies movements beforehand.

Charities such as Kicks Count and PUSH may provide accurate information on baby’s movements but search engines have become the primary source of health information.¹ Unfortunately there are still many websites that have incorrect information such as babies run out of room, will slow down towards the end, or that you need to count 10 kicks in 2 hours. There is no filter that prevents these sites appearing high up on searches. Even though digital sources are perceived as less trustworthy and useful than professional and conventional sources, they are among the most commonly used sources of information for pregnant women. ²  While Kicks Count is a UK charity CEO Elizabeth Hutton OBE says “it is not enough to just improve the information in the UK when so many websites accessed by parents- to- be are from American sites, and all across the world. That is why we have teamed up with PUSH pregnancy to update and align ALL information about babies’ movements."

With the increasing use of generative AI tools the need for accurate information around babies movements is more crucial than ever. The more misinformation there is on the internet the greater the chance it will be picked up by AI programs and repeated. This will create a snowball effect and can quickly reverse progress that has been made in stillbirth prevention.  

"As a bereavement midwife I see the utter devastation when a baby dies during pregnancy.  I hear again and again about information people have read in literature, been told, and have seen online that is incorrect. To improve and standardise this message would be brilliant!" - Rachael Moss, Bereavement  Midwife, Northampton General Hospital (picture to follow)

Kicks Count CEO Elizabeth Hutton OBE says, “We are thrilled to collaborate with PUSH Pregnancy to ensure that parents have the facts they need for a healthy pregnancy. Our mission has always been to raise awareness of baby’s movements to reduce stillbirth and neonatal death but the internet is a minefield of misinformation. This partnership will not only ensure UK parents are getting access to correct information but will also help countries around the world to reduce their stillbirth rate.”

PUSH's Director of communications Ana Vick adds, “Inaccurate information about fetal movements can cause unnecessary confusion and anxiety. Our partnership with Kicks Count will help ensure that families receive clear, evidence-based guidance, and help raise awareness of the importance of paying attention to changes in movement as a critical indicator of a baby’s health.”

Kicks Count and PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy are asking people to report any incorrect information they find via the Kicks Count or PUSH for empowered pregnancy website. The charities will then contact these sites to update their information ahead of International fact check day on April 2^nd.  

For more information about the Internet Scrub Initiative, visit www.kickscount.org.uk and www.pushpregnancy.org.

Call to Actions - 

Websites to check their information. The correct, evidence based, information is available here

Correct Information 

People to report misinformation they find 

Report Misinformation 

 

1. Mendel T, Singh N, Mann DM, Wiesenfeld B, Nov O
   Laypeople’s Use of and Attitudes Toward Large Language Models and Search Engines for Health Queries: Survey Study
   J Med Internet Res 2025;27:e64290
   doi: 10.2196/64290PMID: 39946180
2. Vogels-Broeke M, Daemers D, Budé L, de Vries R, Nieuwenhuijze M. Sources of information used by women during pregnancy and the perceived quality. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2022 Feb 8;22(1):109. doi: 10.1186/s12884-022-04422-7. PMID: 35135487; PMCID: PMC8827281.

 

• One large-scale study found that the majority of first-time mothers reported pregnancy-relevant websites and smartphone-based applications (‘apps’) as ‘very valuable’ sources of information (E.R. Declercq et al., 2013)
• One study analysed the top websites returned in pregnant women’s common internet searches and found many of the websites to be poor quality; only 14 of the 126 websites analysed (11%) had high information reliability (Artieta-Pinedo et al., 2018).
• Some popular sources of pregnancy information, like community groups and blogs, are highly likely to contain inaccurate information (Lobo et al., 2020).
• while 69% of women stated that they had visited a website with wrong or misleading information, 83% still considered the quality of online information generally to be ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ (B Lagan et al., 2010).
• Across studies, women endorsed the internet as a preferred source of information due to it’s ease of use; internet searches are quick, accessible, and convenient (Bert et al., 2013; Fleming et al., 2014; Lee & Moon, 2016; Lev, 2013; Lupton, 2016; Narasimhulu et al., 2016; Prescott & Mackie, 2017; Rodger et al., 2013)
• Women often said that they didn’t want to ‘burden’ their healthcare provider by ‘bothering’ them with simple questions (B. M. Lagan et al., 2011), so instead they turn to the internet.
• Additionally, many women do not review the information they found online with their healthcare provider (Fleming et al., 2014; Gao et al., 2013; Kavlak et al., 2012; Larsson, 2009), which means providers are missing an important opportunity to (1) provide scientifically accurate internet resources and (2) contradict incorrect information that may have come up their patients’ internet searches.
• Women often reported relying on the source of the information, such as the company or organisation, as a way of deciding what information to trust (Bernhardt & Felter, 2004; B Lagan et al., 2010).
• One study found that 74% of women who had used pregnancy apps had not checked the sources of the information found within them (Lupton & Pedersen, 2016).
• Other studies highlighted that women may be using strategies that are not necessarily the most effective evaluation strategies. Women often expressed using a ‘cross-checking’ strategy, feeling that if information was repeated across multiple sources then it was more likely to be true (Arcia et al., 2019; Bernhardt & Felter, 2004; Gao et al., 2013; Larsson, 2009; B. M. Lagan et al., 2011; Zhu et al., 2019). Some women also indicated that popularity or web-traffic was an indication of reliability (Gao et al., 2013; Kavlak et al., 2012; Zhu et al., JOURNAL OF REPRODUCTIVE AND INFANT PSYCHOLOGY 9 2019)
• The current review also suggests that women tend to rely on commercial websites, apps, and social media forums for information over more accurate sources like academic or government website (Huberty et al., 2013; B Lagan et al., 2010; Rodger et al., 2013; Wallwiener et al., 2016).

About Kicks Count

Kicks Count is a UK charity dedicated to reducing stillbirth rates and ensuring that parents have the knowledge and tools they need to monitor their baby’s movements throughout pregnancy. The charity offers free resources, including the Kicks Count app and educational materials for maternity professionals.

About PUSH for empowered Pregnancy

PUSH for empowered Pregnancy is a US-based non-profit organization dedicated to empowering pregnant people with the knowledge and tools they need for a healthy pregnancy. Through education, advocacy, and community outreach, PUSH for empowered Pregnancy works to improve pregnancy outcomes and promote awareness about fetal movement monitoring.

Quotes

From midwives 

"As a bereavement midwife I see the utter devastation when a baby dies during pregnancy.  I hear again and again about information people have read in literature, been told, and have seen online that is incorrect. To improve and standardise this message would be brilliant!" - Rachael Moss, Bereavement  Midwife, Northampton General Hospital (picture to follow)

"Pregnant women need to be given accurate and trustworthy advice from all sources wherever they look". - Rachael moss, Bereavement  Midwife, Northampton General Hospital (picture to follow)

“You, as your baby’s mammy are the best person to know that your baby’s movements are normal for you.   Historically there has been lots of misinformation banded about regarding what you should do when you’re worried about your baby’s movements. Midwives across the country want you to know that we are here if you’re worried about your baby’s movements. Please do not worry that you are ‘putting us out’ or ‘causing a fuss,’  I assure you you’re not, we are always here to care for you and your baby. “ - Louisa Turner, Labour Ward Coordinator/ Bereavement Midwife.  Gateshead Health Foundation Trust / Queen Elizabeth Hospital (picture to follow)

Correct Information 

Common Myths