Many owners use these dolls to cope with grief, infertility, anxiety, or depression.

I played with baby dolls until what would probably be considered “too old,” about age 14. I consider this a developmentally appropriate activity, but my friends, maintaining the attitude that they ...

A subculture of lifelike baby dolls is thriving on social media – despite enthusiasts being dismissed as grown women playing mommy I’m not sure what I expected a collector of hyper-realistic baby ...

It’s a sanctuary where people from all over the world make pregnancy announcements, trade advice on infant feeding and share ultrasound photos. Some meet for in-person playdates and mail each other ...

"You see a doll, I see a baby that I never got to hold,” a woman said after receiving criticism for having a reborn doll Lifelike dolls, known as reborn dolls, have been popular for two decades and ...

Kiersten is a mother not to human children but to dolls—specifically “reborn” dolls, a specialized class of hyperrealistic faux babies that inspire spooked curiosity in casual observers and fanatical ...

Brazilians like Ana Paula Vilela (above) are pampering their hyper-realistic baby dolls -- and sparking debate. AP SAO PAULO — Videos featuring emotional moments with hyper-realistic baby dolls have ...

When a brand new 'reborn' baby - the hyper-realistic dolls that look and feel like a real newborn, is delivered to their 'parent', a ceremonious 'box opening' usually takes place. The dolls, often ...

The first time Karolina Jonderko held a reborn doll, she was amazed at how lifelike it was. It not only looked like a newborn baby, but it felt like one, too. It was as heavy as a baby should be. She ...

"You see a doll, I see a baby that I never got to hold,” a woman said after receiving criticism for having a reborn doll Sam Gillette is a Staff Writer on the Human Interest team at PEOPLE. She first ...