Officials at SharecareNow announced Tuesday the Top 10 Online Influencers in Pediatrics, a distinction awarded to lead physicians who are driving conversations about children’s health online.

All top 10 influencers are pediatricians who maintain an active online presence across diverse interactive channels – including Twitter, Facebook, video and blogs – and have addressed a wide range of child health topics from infant to adolescent care, with many accounts inspired by their own family lives.

Officials at SharecareNow bestowed top honors to Claire McCarthy, MD, Boston Children’s Hospital; Harvey Karp, MD, author of "Happiest Baby"; and Wendy Sue Swanson, MD, who writes “Seattle Mama Doc.”

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"Parents and families have a positive influence on the health and wellness habits of children in their formative years by teaching them the proper ways to take action and prioritize their health – from making lunches to staying active," said Tanya Altmann, MD, an editorial advisory board member of Sharecare and parenting book author for the American Academy of Pediatrics. 

"As a pediatrician and mom, I appreciate the time and expertise of the amazing pediatricians included in the 'SharecareNow 10 Pediatrics' list, who help provide parents with accurate, up-to-date information when they need it most about how to teach children about healthy, long-term behaviors," she added.

To be included in the SharecareNow 10 – Pediatrics list, influencers must have demonstrated a consistent impact on pediatric-specific conversations online over the past year, officials say. An individual's influence is measured and quantified through a proprietary algorithm, developed by digital communications company WCG, based on more than 40 individual metrics, including child health relevance, syndication, presence and reach. These influencers are then ranked based on a unique scoring structure.

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The SharecareNow Top 10 Online Influencers in Pediatrics are:

1. Claire McCarthy, MD - http://childrenshospitalblog.org

2. Harvey Karp, MD -  http://www.happiestbaby.com

3. Wendy Sue Swanson, MD - http://www.seattlemamadoc.com

4. Jennifer Shu, MD - http://healthychildren.org

5. Natasha Burgert, MD - http://kckidsdoc.com


6. Sue Hubbard, MD - http://kidsdr.com


7. Gwenn Schurgin O'Keeffe, MD - http://www.pediatricsnow.com


8. Jen Canter, MD - http://www.playthisway.com


9. Alan Greene, MD - http://www.drgreene.com


10. Denise A. Somsak ,MD - http://pensivepediatrician.com

Additional information about the winners, including bios and methodology, is available here.