In a first, this year’s Gerber baby is a young boy with Down syndrome.

The iconic baby food company said Wednesday that it has chosen Lucas Warren, 18 months, as its “spokesbaby.”

The Dalton, Ga. boy, who has the chromosomal disorder, was chosen from more than 140,000 entries, the company said.

“Lucas is the first child with special needs to receive the Gerber spokesbaby honor and was chosen because of his expressiveness and winning smile,” Gerber said in a statement to Disability Scoop. “Every year, we choose the baby who exemplifies Gerber’s longstanding heritage of recognizing that every baby is a Gerber baby, and Lucas is a perfect fit.”

Lucas Warren (Courtesy: Gerber)

Since 2010, Gerber has selected a baby annually to represent its brand through an online photo search contest.

As Gerber’s spokesbaby for 2018, Lucas will be featured on Gerber’s social media channels and possibly in advertisements for the company. In addition, his family will receive $50,000.

“This is such a proud moment for us as parents knowing that Lucas has a platform to spread joy, not only to those he interacts with every day, but to people all over the country,” said Cortney Warren, Lucas’ mom. “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 — just like our Lucas.”

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