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At first glance, this photo looks like women in the park with their babies
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Look closer and you'll see these aren't human infants, but reborn babies
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These hyper-realistic dolls are gaining popularity in different parts of the world
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especially in Brazil, where lawmakers are split. Some are honoring the artists behind them, while others are pushing for bans
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Reborn dolls are handcrafted and often used as therapeutic tools to help people cope with the loss of a child
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Prices can range from under $100 to several thousand, with the more expensive ones looking nearly identical to real babies
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a lot of money. According to a May 7th release from the Rio de Janeiro City Council
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a new bill designates September 4th as Reborn Stork Day in recognition of the
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psychological help that these dolls provide to so many families. Reborn doll enthusiasts even recently held their 10th annual meetup in Sao Paulo
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celebrating their growing but tight-knit community. But not everyone is on board
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The Associated Press reports a lawmaker and Amazonas recently brought a doll to the statehouse calling for a ban
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He claimed hospitals had administered treatment and mistaken the dolls for real babies
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Local health officials say that's never happened. While there's little data on whether these dolls truly help people process grief
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the Cleveland Clinic says baby doll therapy has shown promise in reducing agitation in patients with dementia or Alzheimer's
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With Stray Arrow news, I'm Kennedy Felton. Download our app or visit san.com for more
