Hyperrealistic baby dolls known as “reborn dolls” are growing in popularity worldwide, especially in Brazil. But while some lawmakers are honoring the artists who make them, others are pushing for restrictions and outright bans.
Some people often use these handmade dolls, designed to look like real infants, as therapeutic tools to help cope with the grief of losing a child. However, they’ve also drawn criticism and confusion from the public, as well as from the government.
Therapy or something else?
At first glance, you might see a woman cradling a baby in the park. But look closer — and you’ll find it’s not a human child, but a lifelike silicone or vinyl doll.
Reborn dolls can cost anywhere from under $100 to several thousand dollars, depending on their realism. The more expensive versions often include delicate features like rooted hair, weighted bodies, and even simulated breathing.
Alana Nascimento, a reborn doll artist in Brazil, tells Reuters the dolls appeal to a wide range of customers.
“I sell more to children. My biggest audience is children, and I would say that about 60% are adults,” she told Reuters via a translation. “I have adults who buy. There are adults who come in discreetly and buy; there are adults who have several of my dolls.”
A date to honor reborn babies
On May 7, the Rio de Janeiro City Council passed a bill officially recognizing the creators of reborn dolls. “Reborn Stork Day” will be celebrated annually on Sept. 4, honoring the psychological comfort these dolls can offer families.
But not all officials support the trend. In Amazonas, state lawmaker Joao Luiz brought a reborn doll to the statehouse, calling for a ban on their production and sale. He claimed hospitals had allegedly mistaken the dolls for real infants and provided care to them.
However, The Associated Press reports that local health authorities have not reported any such incidents.
A growing community — and ongoing criticism
Despite criticism, Brazil’s reborn doll community remains active and engaged. The 10th annual reborn doll meetup was recently held in São Paulo, offering collectors and creators a chance to connect.
Still, the dolls are not without controversy. Many Brazilians — and people around the world — have criticized the phenomenon, especially when it involves adults caring for the dolls as if they were real babies.
There’s also limited research on whether reborn dolls truly help with grieving. Melbourne-based psychologist Carly Dober told a local outlet that, for some, the dolls may even stall emotional healing.
“One of the biggest potential risks … is the potential for them to be stuck in one particular part of their grief and not moving with the grief and learning how to live with the loss,” she said.
Evidence shows other health benefits
While their role in grief therapy is debated, reborn dolls are showing potential in other areas of health.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, baby doll therapy has shown positive effects in reducing agitation among patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
In a study of 12 hospitalized men and 34 women aged 70 to 96 with dementia, the clinic observed reduced agitation scores on the Agitated Behavior Scale (ABS). Assistant nurse manager Ashley Hall, MSN, RN, who co-led the study, said the results were encouraging.
“Both caregivers and family members expressed witnessing notable changes in patient demeanor, and we were amazed by the positive feedback we received,” Hall said.
Custody battle over a doll
Still, the emotional attachment some owners form with these dolls goes beyond clinical settings.
One woman in Brazil said on social media she wants to take her ex-partner to court over custody of her reborn doll. She stressed it’s not an online joke, but “real demands.”
Several legal analysts tell CNN Brasil it is legally impossible to do such a thing, as the reborn doll is an object and has no real needs.
In addition to the bill introduced in the country seeking to prohibit the dolls in health care settings, there is also one seeking to fine people who use them to gain unfair advantages in public spaces.
