In This Article View All In This Article Pediatrics Emergency Medicine & Public Health Obstetrics & Gynecology, Pregnancy, Doula Mental Health Dermatology Nutrition Allergy Education & Development Sleep Meet Our Expert Review Board At Parents, our mission is to provide you with trustworthy advice and a supportive community as you raise the next generation of confident and compassionate kids. That's why we're committed to making sure all of our content is trustworthy, medically accurate, and reflects the most current thinking and perspectives on childhood and parenthood. To support this mission, we launched our Expert Review Board. Members of this board read and review Parents content to let readers know that the information can be trusted. Their names and bios accompany the author's byline on stories they've approved. The Parents Expert Review Board is made up of a diverse group of recognized experts with up-to-date credentials and certifications, a science-backed view of health and parenting topics, and a passion for sharing accurate information with the masses. With their help, the Parents editorial team can make sure the very best, unbiased parenting information gets into the hands of millions of users and helps create impactful, positive change. Learn more about the skilled members of the Parents Expert Review Board and find out how they answered when asked, "What does 'family' mean to you?" Pediatrics Mona Amin, D.O. Mona Amin, D.O., is a pediatrician, mom, and creator of The New Mom's Survival Guide based in Florida. She works in private practice and her passions include early childhood development, focusing on the impact of healthy sleep, a healthy relationship with food, and healthy coping skills in the first five years of a child's life. Through her brand Pedsdoctalk, her goal is to provide relatable and easy-to-digest education for the modern parent regarding the health and wellness of their child. "Family is the people that uplift you, make you whole, and fill your heart with a desire to continue to thrive in this world." Antwon Chavis, M.D. Antwon Chavis, M.D., is the assistant professor of pediatrics at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon. He has experience providing comprehensive and evidence-based medical services to children from birth through adolescence. This has included, but is not limited to, guidance on physical growth and development, as well as mental health. Dr. Chavis has a particular interest in African American and minority health, autism and other developmental conditions, LGBTQ health, and adoption/foster care. As an educator, he has been involved in medical education at all levels, from high school students to pre-clinical medical students to resident trainees. "I have been lucky enough to have made my family through foster care, and as such have the utmost understanding that all families can look different. Family is more than people related by the exchange and inheritance of genetics. Family can include a child that you just met this morning, but are already in love with as they will change your life forever. Family can be a friend willing to hold your fussy and crying infant so that you can finish your meal without distraction. Family can be two gender-non-conforming parents working hard to find their space within the profoundly gendered lexicon of parenthood. Family can be caring adult role models who enter a child's life with hopes of giving them the world that they deserve. Raising a child takes a village. I truly believe that every member of that village, by definition, is family." David L. Hill, M.D., FAAP David Hill, M.D., has been practicing pediatrics in the outpatient and inpatient settings since 1998. He serves as adjunct assistant professor of pediatrics at both the UNC School of Medicine and the Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Hill has been a professional journalist since high school and is the author/co-author/editor of three books for the American Academy of Pediatrics, including the best-selling Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5. He has served in a variety of leadership roles in the North Carolina Pediatric Society and American Academy of Pediatrics, most recently on the AAP Council Management Committee. Dr. Hill has a long career in broadcasting as well, currently co-hosting the AAP's flagship podcast, Pediatrics on Call. "Family are those people in my life whose love inspires me to be my strongest but allows me to be my most vulnerable." Wendy L.M. Hunter, M.D., FAAP Wendy Hunter, M.D., is an associate physician at Children's Primary Care Medical Group in La Jolla, California. She was formerly an associate professor at the University of California at San Diego School of Medicine and worked as a general pediatrician in the emergency department at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego. "Family means unconditional love. Our children need to feel supported, encouraged and welcome in their home, no matter what happens in the world. Trust kids to try things on their own, support them when they fall, cheer them when they succeed, and always listen to them." Natalie Muth, M.D., MPH, RDN, FAAP, FACSM Natalie Muth, M.D., is a primary care pediatrician at Children's Primary Care Medical Group in Carlsbad, California, where she is also the founder and director of the WELL Clinic which helps children and families optimize health in the areas of nutrition, physical activity, sleep, screen use, and stress management. Dr. Muth is also a registered dietitian and serves as an adjunct assistant professor at UCLA where she teaches an introductory nutrition course and has previously served on the executive committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Obesity, having co-authored several AAP statements on nutrition and physical activity. Dr. Muth is an award-winning author, having published more than 100 articles and several books for parents including The Picky Eater Project: 6 Weeks to Happier, Healthier Family Mealtimes and How to Raise Healthy Eaters: Starting Solids. "To me, family means love, commitment, adventure, learning, growing, exploring, and helping each other up when we get knocked down." Emergency Medicine & Public Health Monika Goyal, M.D., MSCE Monika Goyal, M.D., MSCE, is a pediatric emergency medicine specialist and associate chief, director of academic affairs and research in the division of emergency medicine at Children's National Hospital and an associate professor of pediatrics and emergency medicine at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. "Family, to me, means home. My definition of family extends beyond the nuclear, including our friends, neighbors, colleagues, and society. Family is what drives my passion for improving the health of all children and advocating for those whose voices may go unheard." Varuna Srinivasan Varuna Srinivasan is a gender justice activist, writer, sexual health consultant at Tara Health Media, and co-chair of the Women's Mental Health Conference at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. "All the things I love and admire the most about myself are those qualities that have been passed down to me by my family." Obstetrics & Gynecology, Pregnancy, Doula Yamel Belen, R.N., CLC Yamel Belen is a registered nurse with over a decade of experience in pediatrics, a professional doula, a certified lactation counselor, as well as a certified childbirth educator based in Tampa, Florida. "I started my family as a teen mom and together with my High School sweetheart we had our baby girl. I was scared, anxious, and nervous because I knew I wanted to provide her a safe space and the beauty of a family. We fell in love with parenting so much that we added four extra kids to the bunch and our party of seven is always full of laughs, and lots of love. Families come in all different shapes and sizes and to our children our family is their entire world. Our job as parents is to ensure their world is happy, comfy, and safe." Iya Mystique Faodugun, M.S., CFSD, CBS, CLE, CBE Iya Mystique Faodugun is a full-spectrum birth worker, member of the Queer Doula Network, and student midwife at Commonsense Childbirth School of Midwifery, the first and only privately Black-owned, nationally accredited midwifery school in the United States. They have served as a midwifery school instructor, lactation educator, childbirth educator, doula/birth work trainer, guest lecturer, and workshop facilitator specializing in the topics of trauma-informed care, inclusivity, intersectionality, anti-Blackness, and LGBTQ+ advocacy. "Family is your village that shows up to support you in your time of need and shows up to celebrate you in your time of blessings." Shieva Ghofrany, M.D. As an OB-GYN since 1999, Shieva Ghofrany, M.D., has had an ongoing and intimate experience with women, their illnesses, pregnancies, and especially their mindset with regard to all of this. Dr. Ghofrany finished residency in 2003 and joined her private practice where she resides to this day. During her 23 years as a physician she has attended to the physical and emotional health needs of patients from many backgrounds—her practice has cared for people of varied ages, genders, races, sexual orientations, sizes, and insurances—and has even weathered multiple pregnancy losses, vaginal and cesarean births, endometriosis, HPV, and ovarian cancer. All of this has helped her empathize with patients and has informed her of ways in which our body and mindset can help or hurt us. Kiarra King, M.D., FACOG Kiarra King, M.D., is a Chicago-based physician who is board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology. She passionately cares for women throughout their lives. She believes that education is empowerment and actively works to ensure her patients and community are informed. "To know me is to know I love my family. Family is love, joy, peace, laughter, and memory-making personified!" Lulu Zhao, M.D., FACOG, FASAM Lulu Zhao, M.D., is a board-certified OB-GYN with advanced training in women's mental health. Dr. Zhao is the assistant professor of OB-GYN and psychiatry and part of the reproductive psychiatry team at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center in Cleveland. She's also the director of the RISE-Moms Perinatal Addiction Clinic, a contributor to the National Curriculum in Reproductive Psychiatry (NCRP), and a former board member of the North American Board of Psychosocial Obstetrics and Gynecology (NASPOG). "Our families ground us to our places in society, providing a sense of identity, relationship, and belonging. As an OB-GYN, I love helping women define their families, whatever it means to them, and helping them to build as strong and healthy of a family as possible." Mental Health Wayne Fleisig, Ph.D. Wayne Fleisig, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist and has been working with children and parents for close to 30 years. Dr. Fleisig is based in Birmingham, Alabama. "Family is not an important thing. It's everything."—Michael J. Fox Janet Taylor, M.D., MPH Janet Taylor, M.D., is a psychiatrist in Lakewood Ranch, Florida with expertise in urban mental health and wellness and a passion for teaching parents how to utilize their own strengths and backgrounds to make them more aware of their children's psychological development and enhance their communication. She's also the author of The Courageous Classroom, which focuses on trauma and creating a culture of safety for teachers, students, and their families to learn and thrive. "Family isn't always your blood relatives, but a community of folks who support your dreams, lift you up when you fall, and share truth and wisdom in times of darkness and light. Family sees you, wants what's best for you, and teaches you how to love back." Stacey R. Younge, LCSW Stacey Younge is a licensed clinical social worker and has been in the mental health field for 15 years. She started her career as a family therapist in New York with the Vera Institute of Justice, then served at the CASES Nathaniel Clinic as the senior youth specialist. She also conducts trainings for a variety of nonprofit organizations on topics such as community and self-care, trauma, and youth engagement. Stacey owns Sixth Street Wellness, a group private practice in NYC specializing in trauma, anxiety, and depression. "Families are these incredible relationships that grow, shift, and change form as we move through life. I appreciate the opportunity to support families during these moments and grateful to my own family for being there through mine." Dermatology Kim Nichols, M.D. Kim Nichols, M.D., is a board-certified dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon in private practice in Fairfield, Connecticut. "Family is everything to me; my children truly inspire me to do better every single day." Jody A. Levine, M.D., FAAP, FAAD Jody A. Levine, M.D., is the director of dermatology at Plastic Surgery and Dermatology of NYC. Prior to co-founding the practice, Dr. Levine worked in private practice in Manhattan, was the medical director of a medical spa in Brooklyn, and served as head of pediatric dermatology at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx. Currently, Dr. Levine is an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the Mount Sinai Medical Center, as well as an associate adjunct surgeon at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. "Family to me means unconditional love, protection, friendship, understanding, reliability, loyalty and an abundant blessing." Nutrition Jill Castle, M.S., RDN Jill Castle, M.S., RDN, is a child nutrition expert, pediatric dietitian, owner of Jill Castle Nutrition, and author of Fearless Feeding: How to Raise Healthy Eaters From High Chair to High School. She previously served as a clinical pediatric dietitian at both Boston Children's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. "I see family as the tight community we create where unconditional love, unwavering support, fun times, and meaningful growth happens." Allergy Michael Pistiner, M.D., MMSc Michael Pistiner, M.D., is director of food allergy advocacy, education, and prevention for the MassGeneral Hospital for Children Food Allergy Center in Boston. He has a special interest in food allergy and anaphylaxis education and advocacy, infant food allergy management and prevention, and maintaining quality of life in children and families with food allergies. Dr. Pistiner is a fellow in the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), where he is a member of the Section on Allergy and Immunology Executive Committee, Council on School Health and the Massachusetts Chapter of the AAP. He is also a member of the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology and the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. "Family is the bedrock for all that I do. My personal and professional are built on it." Education & Development Heather Clarke, MSpEd, MSc, M.A. Heather Clarke is an educator, disability advocate, lecturer, and parent coach. She's the founder and CEO of The Learning Advocate and she also serves as an adjunct professor of special education and elementary education and early childhood development and education at Brooklyn College and Queen's College, CUNY, as well as an adjunct professor of special education at New York University. "Family is something that we create, build, and nurture with intention. We parent our children and work to build on the knowledge of our ancestors while breaking generational curses." Sleep Jodi A. Mindell, Ph.D., DBSM Jodi A. Mindell, Ph.D., DBSM, is the associate director of the Sleep Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and a professor of psychology at Saint Joseph's University. Dr. Mindell has written extensively on pediatric sleep disorders and has been on the board of directors of the National Sleep Foundation, a foundation established to educate the public about sleep and sleep disorders, as well as for the Sleep Research Society. "My goal is to help every child get the sleep they need, and provide publicly available education about sleep to families around the world."