CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- The UVA Children's Hospital NICU had some special guests on Friday, as the UVA cheer team stopped by.

They were there to help out with the National Babies with Books Readathon, a 10-day challenge to promote reading with babies that involves NICUs around the world.

Reading with babies helps brain and language development, and it's also a way for NICU parents to bond with their children when they're stuck in the hospital.

One mother has already read over 100 books to her baby boy, a UVA cheerleader adding to the count.

"I love reading to him," said NICU parent Angela Meadows. "He enjoys it, loves looking around, looking at the pages and the stories, learning new words."

The Readathon goes through August 19. The UVA NICU has a goal of 500 books.