William Sears

Dr. William Sears, one of America's most renowned pediatricians, is the father of eight children, the author of more than 30 books on child care, and an associate clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine. A pediatrician for nearly three decades, he lives and practices in San Clemente, California. Sears received his pediatric training at Harvard Medical School's Children's Hospital in Boston and The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, the largest children's hospital in the world. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Royal College of Pediatricians.

In addition to writing books and scientific articles, Sears is a medical and parenting consultant to BabyTalk and Parenting magazines. He is particularly enthusiastic about the Web's ability to reach mothers and fathers where they live. "With the advent of managed care, parents often find that their pediatrician is not so accessible for medical advice, so they turn to other sources," says Sears. "The Web, I believe, is the modern resource for parenting information. Not instead of a child's doctor, but as an additional resource." His goal as Parenting.com's pediatric expert? "I'd like parents to think of me as their live-in pediatrician, easily accessible online for the most common problems they face. This new avenue for information is always current and I'm excited to give parents the most up-to-date, groundbreaking news."

"Dr. Bill" - as his patients call him - has been a guest on over 100 television shows including 20/20, Good Morning America, Oprah Winfrey, Today Show and Dateline. Sears and his wife and frequent coauthor, Martha Sears, R.N., are best known for their nine most recent books, The Successful Child, The Pregnancy Book, The Birth Book, The Baby Book, The Discipline Book, Parenting the Fussy Baby, The A.D.D. Book, The Breastfeeding Book, and The Family Nutrition Book.