The MAHA movement is changing parenting — and not in the way you think

The Make America Healthy Again movement has fundamentally transformed how American parents approach their children’s health. Everyday decisions, from grocery shopping to playground conversations, have become sources of anxiety and social division, particularly for new mothers navigating an increasingly polarized medical landscape.

MAHA, led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., began as a conservative health movement aimed at making America “the healthiest nation on Earth” by addressing what officials describe as a childhood chronic disease crisis. Kennedy, confirmed as HHS Secretary in February, has a long history of vaccine hesitancy and skepticism toward infectious disease research.

The movement gained significant momentum during the coronavirus pandemic, when large pockets of people, especially parents, lost trust in experts and began researching unconventional and discredited methods of caring for themselves. Many have been emboldened by Kennedy, who advised new parents to “do your own research” before vaccinating infants.

President Donald Trump later nominated Dr. Casey Means as surgeon general, a wellness influencer, and former medical resident who left traditional medicine to become a critic of medical institutions. Her nomination has legitimized medical skepticism among parents.

The Presidential Commission established this year released a landmark assessment identifying poor diet, environmental toxins, insufficient physical activity, chronic stress, and overmedicalization as key drivers behind escalating childhood health problems. The commission’s assessment reveals alarming statistics: childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents over the past three decades, with current rates showing approximately one in five U.S. children as obese.

Additionally, the number of young people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes per year doubled from 9 per 100,000 in 2002 to 18 per 100,000 by 2018, representing about a 5% increase per year in new cases. With vaccination rates among American kindergartners on the decline, these health trends fuel MAHA advocates’ arguments linking chronic diseases to ultra-processed foods, food additives, and current vaccination schedules.

What makes MAHA movement particularly challenging for new mothers is that skeptical voices aren’t confined to fringe online communities; they’re embedded in local mom groups on Facebook, church communities, and playground conversations, according to the New York Times article. The movement’s messaging exploits maternal concerns by questioning everyday products and suggesting alternatives, intensifying the stress mothers already feel about making optimal choices for their children’s health and safety.

This targeting proves effective because mothers are significantly more likely than fathers to be the primary medical decision-makers in their families, and 84% of mothers look for parenting advice on social media, according to a University of Michigan poll. Pediatric researchers found that new parents were often open to believing information that ran counter to conventional wisdom, with some specifically wanting to do things differently from their parents. At the same time, social media algorithms amplify unorthodox voices over medical expertise.

The MAHA movement has fueled a new wave of competitive parenting, where mothers feel growing pressure to adopt complex health-related behaviors. Maternal anxiety has shifted from basic safety concerns to health-focused competition—reflected in choices around vaccines, diets, and birth methods, which increasingly signal social status. Everyday interactions now serve as quiet assessments of a mother’s health philosophy, with birth stories and food choices interpreted as markers of MAHA alignment. These exchanges often carry implicit judgment, turning once-private medical decisions into social statements.

Social media amplifies these tensions through misinformation that appears in mothers’ feeds without them actively seeking it. Studies reveal that 25% of comments on parenting blogs contain inaccurate health information, while 27% fall into aggressive “attack” categories that may not provide reliable guidance for information-seeking parents. 

Parents can verify information against reputable organizations, such as the World Health Organization, the National Institutes of Health, or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and seek peer-reviewed studies rather than relying on social media claims. CDC states that pediatricians who provide presumptive recommendations about vaccinations, informing parents that shots are due rather than asking their opinion, achieve significantly higher acceptance rates.

Despite widespread medical coverage, surveys reveal gaps in professional guidance. Approximately 20% of new mothers report receiving no doctor advice about breastfeeding or sleep positioning, while more than 50% receive no guidance on sleep location or pacifier use. The lack of reliable guidance often leads individuals to seek advice from family, media, or online groups, which may offer suggestions not supported by evidence.

To navigate the health environment shaped by MAHA, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that families consult pediatricians early and consistently, noting that trusted medical advice significantly reduces susceptibility to misinformation. For new mothers facing a landscape of conflicting advice and quiet judgment, credible guidance can offer not only clarity but also relief.

Also Read:
1. RFK Jr.’s to-do list to make America ‘healthy’ has health experts worried

2. Vaccination rates are declining and measles cases are climbing. More preventable diseases could re-emerge next

3. Why government can’t make America ‘healthier’ by micromanaging groceries purchased with SNAP benefits

4. How inflation is hurting the diets of low-income Americans