Ethermac Exchange-'Reborn dolls' look just like real-life babies. Why people buy them may surprise you.

Two dozen lifelike babies lie nestled in a nursery right now in Traci Knoppe's Missouri home. Except the cribs and Ethermac Exchangebassinets aren't holding real babies. They're dolls.

You may have come across these "reborn dolls" in the past; these are dolls that artists design to specifically resemble babies. These dolls look so real, it's almost scary. But before you write them off, you should know reborn dolls have proven therapeutic benefits, particularly for those with dementia. The dolls could also help those struggling with infertility or infant loss.

Jaime Beebe began bringing her dolls to dementia patients at local facilities in 2017. "It's amazing, because you have a lot of these people who can't even tell you if they had breakfast that very morning," the Connecticut resident, 47, says. "Yet here they are telling you how big their baby was 60 years ago. It's incredible the memories that these dolls really can unlock for some of these people."

'Doll therapy improves emotional state of people with dementia'

What started out as volunteer work for Beebe became a business: She now brings her 32 babies, sometimes 8 at a time, to dementia patients across Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Research backs it up, too: "Doll therapy improves the emotional state of people with dementia, diminishes disruptive behaviors and promotes communication," according to a 2022 study.

The benefits may not stop at those with dementia. Knoppe, for example, has multiple chronic health conditions like severe osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as bipolar and general anxiety disorder, and has found the dolls bring her comfort. They calm her down.

"When you hold a reborn, the realism in the artistry is one of the things that draws you," Knoppe, 60, says. "Then they're weighted like a real baby. So when you're holding them, you get that – it's like that maternal instinct. And for me, that was comforting."

Who makes reborn dolls? And how much do they cost?

A sculptor morphs the doll with clay, shaping it to look like a real baby. After, it's fitted with arms and legs and stuffed and filled with weighted beads. Artists then purchase the blank dolls and paint the to make them look realistic – that's where the detail, design and depth come into play.

Don't buy from just anyone purporting to sell "reborn dolls," Knoppe says. Make sure you go directly to an artist for authenticity.

"Just like you would buy any other piece of art, they have a certificate of authenticity with a number," she adds.

Cost per doll varies. The average price is around $500 to $800 for a higher quality reborn doll. The most Beebe has spent is $1,600 on an individual doll. "The more realistic it looks, the more it's going to cost," Knoppe adds. The most expensive dolls are made of full body silicone, and those can cost up to $6,000 and even beyond that.

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'It's hard to argue against something that's a therapy tool'

Some may simply display their dolls while others will go as far as to parent them: change their diapers and feed them.

Knoppe enjoys taking her dolls out in public, driving them around in car seats. "I don't really say anything, but I've had people go 'oh, isn't that a cute little doll?' and I said 'it's actually a doll,'" she says. She uses it as an opportunity to educate people on the benefits the dolls bring.

"I've had (people) tear up in the middle of the store, because it brings back such sweet memories for them," she says. "And when I explain how and why I have them and how they're used, well it's hard to argue against something that's a therapy tool that helps people."

While most of her babies have their eyes closed, some of their eyes are open. She avoids bringing those out in public. "Open eye babies can kind of sometimes freak people out," she notes.

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'To each their own'

Knoppe's actual children and husband are supportive of her hobby as they've seen how much it's helped her. Of course, not everyone is supportive of the doll habit, particularly on social media. Some go out of their way to hide the habit in the first place. "There are quite a few people in the doll community that are not accepted by their families or friends," Beebe says. "They make up completely different social media profiles so nobody knows they have these dolls."

Knoppe is open about her hobby. She picks a "baby of the day" to focus on and dress up in baby clothes; she has 28 in total with two more on the way. Her dolls vary in size: a preemie that's a few pounds to one that's about the size of a 6- or 9-month-old that's 12 1/2 pounds. Some days she'll want a heavier one to help with her anxiety a la a weighted blanket.

To any nay-sayers: Knoppe says nobody puts baby in a corner.

"It's to each their own," she says. "You can have whatever opinion you want. It doesn't change the fact that if it's a benefit to you, and it's something that you enjoy, don't let somebody else rain on your parade."