An 18-month-old boy with Down syndrome has been named by baby food maker Gerber as its "Spokesbaby" for 2018, the company said on Wednesday, an action hailed by advocates for people with the genetic condition.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Lucas Warren of Dalton, Georgia, won Gerber's annual photo contest over 140,000 entries with his "winning smile and joyful expression," Gerber Chief Executive Bill Partyka said in a statement.
"Every year, we choose the baby who best exemplifies Gerber's longstanding heritage of recognising that every baby is a Gerber baby, and this year, Lucas is the perfect fit," Partyka said.
Gerber has held the photo contest since 2010, although parents have been sending photos of their infants to the company throughout its 90-year history, Partyka said. Gerber was bought in 2007 by Swiss food and beverage company Nestle.
The Warren family will receive $US50,000 ($A70,000) from Gerber, and Lucas will take "a front seat" on the company's social media channels.
"We hope this opportunity sheds light on the special needs community and educates people that with acceptance and support, individuals with special needs have the potential to change the world," Lucas's mother, Cortney Warren, said in a statement.