Devastating reason people are buying lifelike £8,000 'reborn' baby dolls

In recent years, we've seen a trend for 'reborn' dolls - and there's a desperately sad reason they've proven so popular.

These dolls are so intricately made, that even up close you'd be forgiven for thinking you were looking at a real human baby. Crafters will dedicate hours to the tiniest of details, from painting on veins to threading fine alpaca hairs into the scalp. Meanwhile, those who buy them can enhance the realism even further, purchasing items such as perfume to make them smell like a real baby.

These incredibly lifelike dolls can cost thousands, but to many owners, they're priceless. Indeed, some view themselves as their doll's parent, treating it with all the love and care they would a real child.

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• 'I'm a mum to 250 reborn dolls - friends judge me like Katie Price but our bond is real'

• 'I make lifelike baby dolls – people troll me but they help more than you know'

In a recent piece penned for the Wall Street Journal, reporter Rory Satran visited the Dolls of the World fair, held at a convention center in Greensboro, North Carolina. Here, doll enthusiasts from all over gathered with their 'babies', which ranged from the realistic to the fantastical.

She recalled how those attending conventions in other parts of the building were "shocked" to see the dolls being handled as though they were human, with some believing they were looking at real-life babies. There are, of course, those who find this "hobby" a bit disquieting, even creepy, and some who participate have to contend with a fair bit of criticism.

Satran spoke with Sally McMahon of Massapequa Park, New York, who arrived with her hybrid rabbit-human doll. Opening up about the negativity she's had to face, Sally shared: “Unfortunately, we get a lot of hate in the doll community. They say, ‘Oh my God, these crazy doll people'.”

However, as unusual as this sort of possession is considered by many, Satran noted that these dolls serve an important therapeutic purpose, and can help those who've gone through terrible trauma, including miscarriage and baby loss. These precious objects can also be of great comfort for women with conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Alzheimer’s, dementia, and autism.

While at the convention, Satran spoke with Katherine Hansell of St. Charles, Missouri, whose adopted adult daughter suffered devastating childhood abuse. The mother and daughter now use a reborn baby, also named Crystal, in order to model what love and care should look like. Katherine told Satran: “We say that this Crystal was never hurt."

Media personality Katie Price previously sparked conversation after sharing images of herself with 'reborn' baby twins. Although fans were initially confused, a source later explained to OK! magazine that this was a way for Katie, who has previously suffered miscarriages, to deal with her trauma and feel soothed.

The source revealed: "She's been through a lot of trauma in her life, and she's been at her happiest when she's had her babies. It's her happy place and safe place, but the beauty of them not being real is she can just get on with her life as normal, and they don't keep her up all night."

If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this story you can contact Tommy’s, the UK's pregnancy and baby loss charity, for free on 0800 014 7800, or email midwife@tommys.org.

Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com