Are Reborn Babies Scary and Harmful?

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

13 Aug 2008 08:39 AM

I have to tread lightly on this topic, because the whole thing is a little disturbing to me. Lifelike baby dolls, dubbed Reborn Babies or a Reborn Baby, started out being made and traded by a handful of enthusiasts in the United Kingdom. These dolls have since turned into a trend that many say is macabre and scary. Some psychologists worry about the mental sanity of those who own these dolls, and the dolls have wrecked social havoc on a number of occasions.

These Reborn Baby dolls are usually made of soft vinyl. Standard dolls are taken and refitted to resemble lifelike real infants. Their chests rise and fall, and they can be fitted with heartbeats. The hair is implanted strand by strand, and the faces painted and repainted to resemble newborn skins. They are termed "Reborn Babies" because of the transformation.

The dolls are so lifelike, that they are often mistaken for real infants, or even worse, dead infants. Many are described by their owners as "premature." Huh? That just crosses the line from cute to creepy for me. The dolls can be custom made to specifically resemble a real baby from a photo. Some owners swear that the dolls are breathing on their own (see the second half of this article more more on this).

Doll collectors, who add the dolls to their collections because of the uniqueness and the quality of the art, say that even they have a feeling of unease when they are in the same room as these dolls.

The Reborn Baby dolls are not meant for children. In fact, major stores, such as Harrods, will not stock them because they are too lifelike. The price for one of these dolls can easily climb into the thousands of dollars.

Check back tomorrow when I share what some of the experts think. There is at least one very possible and very disturbing side effect of owning one of these dolls that could affect you as a parent of an actual baby. I'll also share what happened in one case of a Real Baby that involved law enforcement.

Image from sxc.hu

Click here for more articles by Mary Ann Romans.

Related Posts:

Which Toys Don't Include Phthalates?

Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger