A growing trend of life-like ‘Reborn’ dolls are helping women to cope with anxiety.
Reborn dolls are hyper-realistic baby dolls that look like real babies, but they are made of vinyl and silicone.
At present, they are used and cared for by many people, fundamentally women, as if they were a real child.
They dress them, bathe them, give them a bottle, buy them real clothes and take them out for a walk.
There are a range of reasons why women choose to own a reborn doll. Some women have struggled to cope after a miscarriage or stillbirth, and the doll allows them to have a “baby experience” after a traumatic loss.
Others simply find that holding the dolls is soothing and allows them to “cope with anxiety”.
Reborn groups on social media site Facebook are extremely popular and some groups boast thousands of members.
Some people are critical of the movement, blasting it as “unhealthy”.
One Facebook user said: “I don’t understand it, it’s not real, it can never replace a real child.”
Collectors of Reborns however, are aware the babies are not real, and recognise their benefits as therapeutic.
According to psychiatrist Dr. Gail Saltz:”The behavior can provide reprieve for those coping with loss, sadness or anxiety.”
Many people also collect the realistic baby dolls because they are exquisite pieces of art.
The alternative reborn trend has flourished, with many people making the dolls at home.
It has become a sub-culture within a sub-culture, with many fantastic works of art displayed on sites for sale.
This can take hours, and the dolls costs hundreds and sometimes thousands to buy.