Tire - Iranian families resort to dolls instead of having more children
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With rosy cheeks, delicate eyelashes and a head covered with hair, some Iranian families use baby-like dolls that appear full of life, as an alternative to having more children.
Maryam Ajayi, 24, began designing these dolls for the first time as a hobby, as she carefully colors the infant's face, which is made of silicone, and chooses suitable clothes that make it appear as close as possible to the live infant.
But after she completed the second (Rayburn) doll, requests began to grow for her to purchase these dolls.
"Many of the customers of these baby dolls are those whose children complain of feeling lonely, they want a brother or sister. Parents provide them with these dolls to stop their grumbling and complaining," says Maryam.
The doll designer added that many families in Iran choose to have one child due to economic conditions. "The habit of having one child is largely due to expenses and economic situation ... but they do not realize that having an actual sibling cannot be replaced in this way," she added.
Reborn dolls can also be used to comfort bereaved mothers who are grieving the death of a baby.
But mother Mojane Zebibour uses this doll as a companion for her five-year-old daughter.
Vaporan, Mojan's daughter, holds tea parties with the doll and keeps her close when she goes to sleep.
Mojgan said she decided to get the doll after her daughter repeatedly requested that she have a brother or sister.
"The feeling of cuddling this doll is just like when my child was a baby. When I embraced it I remembered exactly when my child was a baby. These days families cannot think of having three or four children," she added.
Psychologists and family planning experts say that it is very common for families to search for other means to fill the void that a child feels when he is alone, as some resort to having pets while others resort to unusual methods such as dolls.
Iran's Health Ministry said this month that official statistics indicate that Iran will become the world's oldest country over the next 30 years.
According to local media, quoting the Ministry of Health, 10% of Iran's population is elderly, with the population growth rate dropping to less than 1%.
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