Someone to love: the dolls offering another chance at motherhood

Lifelike baby dolls have been shown to help with grief, loss, dementia and neurodivergence. For women like Patrizia, who is grappling with estrangement from her children, they allow her to experience lost years of motherhood. But could relying on a doll to heal grief and trauma create other issues? A warning – this story contains distressing themes and references to miscarriage, stillbirth and newborn death.