Reborn doll therapy was discussed at a British Psychological Society Conference as a prospect for improving the mental health of Alzhemier’s and dementia patients in long term care facilities. The reborn dolls help the patient deal with the distress and agitation associtaed with the disease. Doll therapy has long been used in long-term care facility settings with some success and is enjoying more success with the introduction of the special dolls. 

Doll therapy is being used more often and with a better success rate because of the nature of the dolls. Reborn dolls are incredible life-like, custom made dolls that do more than resemble a newborn. They are specifically crafted by individual artists to look exactly like a newborn infant. This uncanny realism is why reborn doll therapy is cutting edge.The emotional bond as well as the physiological reaction an individual experiences while holding a child can be reproduced in a therapeutic setting. Newborners, as the artists and supporters of Reborn dolls have dubbed themselves, call this “cuddle therapy”. Cuddling a baby releases hormones such as oxytocin which produce a sense of emotional well-being. The dolls can even be equipped with electronic devices that make a heartbeat, chest plates that rise and fall to simulate breathing, voice boxes that mimic infant sounds, and even heat packs that make the dolls warm to the touch.

The clever craft of “reborning” is in demand now more than ever because of the proven therapeutic value of the product. A reborn doll project starts with a store-bought doll that is taken apart or a doll kit from an online retailer. The vinyl is stripped and given a blue wash that will help create the coloring of a newborn. Multiple layers of paint are applied with expertise to make the mottled look of a new baby. The head is weighted before it is applied so that it lays realistically and needs to be supported when the doll is picked up. The rest of the body is filled and reattached.Hair is usually attached strand by strand and takes days of work for the artists. Every detail is attended to. The finger nails and toe nails are manicured and sometimes fake tears are even added to a doll. These details are what creates the fantastic look of a reborn doll. The dolls are purchased mainly through ebay, but are also found in places like craft festivals all over the world.

“I was absolutely mad for dolls. I learned to walk by pushing a toy stroller with a baby”, said one woman when she was answering questions about the phenomenon. Most women will likely have warm memories of playing with and caring for dolls as a child. It makes sense then that this therapy would help comfort those who are suffering with the loneliness felt by the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. More study could lead to a resurgence of interest in alternative dementia therapies. Reborn doll therapy could be a therapeutic breakthrough in this area of treatment.

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