Ohio athletes hold babies for a good cause

CHILLICOTHE – A campaign to raise awareness of shaken baby syndrome will depict Ohio high school male student-athletes holding babies.

A photo shoot was conducted Wednesday afternoon inside the gymnasium at Chillicothe High School, where football, basketball and wrestling athletes donned their uniforms and held babies. The mothers and their infants were found at different locations throughout Ross County to take part in the volunteer project, with the posters to make appearances as part of Child Abuse Prevention Month in April.

Helen Lehman, administrator of South Central Ohio Job and Family Services for Hocking, Ross and Vinton County children's services, said the point of the project is education about shaken baby syndrome. Posters will be displayed at various locations such as laundromats, grocery stores and other sites within Ross County.

Shaken baby syndrome is described as a serious brain injury that results from forcefully shaking an infant or toddler, according to the Mayo Clinic website. Ross County has more than 1,100 cases of child abuse each year, according to Lehman, who hopes the posters will have an impact.

"It takes a community to keep a child safe," Lehman said.

She also added that she appreciates students stepping up to help the agency get the word out about shaken baby syndrome.

"These guys getting together, I think, speaks volumes to the community," she said. "The participating athletes put aside their sometimes intense rivalry and sense of competition to stand united with us in presenting a message of intolerance of child abuse and neglect."

Lehman also said officials hope to reach many individuals in the community with the overall message.

"We also hope that it will have significant impact in raising the level of understanding on what can occur when babies are shaken," she said. "Child abuse can be prevented and we want the community to know that we all have an important part in making that happen. When we work together to promote nurturing parent-child interactions and foster early learning opportunities, we actually support child development and healthy family relationships — the very actions that help to prevent child abuse and neglect."