Pirkanmaa Clinic Sues Pediatrician Lotta Immel Over Social Media Posts, Seeks €20,000

A private clinic has filed a €20,000 lawsuit against pediatrician Lotta Immel over her social media posts, lodging the claim at Helsinki District Court. The suit says the posts harmed Pirkanmaan Lähineuvola Oy’s business between 2024 and 2026 and damaged client relationships.

The doctors behind the popular Lääkäriliiga channels on Instagram and TikTok say they share research-based health information for new parents and aim to counter disinformation. Pirkanmaan Lähineuvola told the court that Immel's posts made the clinic identifiable and suggested unnecessary tests or procedures were being offered to generate profit; the company says some client relationships ended and others failed to form. The clinic's lawyer declined to comment to YLE.

Immel rejects the claims and says she never named Pirkanmaan Lähineuvola, using the clinic’s material only as an example without making it identifiable. She warns such damage claims can chill researchers' and clinicians' participation in public debate. Immel, who studies the medicalization and paramedicalization of normal infant development, has faced similar demands before. Breastfeeding organisations have criticised Lääkäriliiga's messages as harmful to trust in health services. The dispute comes against the backdrop of a recent rise in harassment, doxxing and threats against Pirkanmaa wellbeing services staff.