Reborn dolls spark debate about motherhood, identity

DREAM DOLLS

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GABI Matos looks the quintessential doting mom as she changes Ravi's nappy, cooing reassuringly as he stares up at her.

But this Brazilian "newborn" doesn't seem to mind having his nappy changed. In fact, he has no real emotions whatsoever.

Ravi is a hyper-realistic doll with an eerie resemblance to an actual infant.

Some of the so-called "reborn" dolls cry, suck dummies, pee, have nails, eyelashes and veins.

But what really sets them apart from traditional dolls with waxy, smooth complexion is their puckered features and blotchy skin.

Blink and you could mistake the bundle in the stroller in Rio de Janeiro for the real thing.

Demand for these replica babies, which first emerged in the United States in the early 1990s, targeting adults chiefly, has rocketed in the South American country in recent years.

"I always loved babies and dolls, from a very young age. When I discovered these art models I fell in love," said Ravi's 21-year-old "mum".

Made with silicone or vinyl, the price tag for these bundles of joy can run to thousands of dollars.

Matos, who lives in the south-eastern Brazilian city of Campinas, received her first "reborn" - so-called because the first editions were traditional dolls modified by artists to look more life-like - aged nine.