These dolls have been available for purchase for at least 6 years (when I first found out about the website) and I’m surprised they haven’t made it on Soc Images yet!
I want to clarify that while these dolls are created for the use by the anti-choice movement, I’m not trying to make a pro-choice argument here. Rather, I think it is interesting to think about how fetal development is depicted (especially to children), and how these micropreemie dolls compare to medical depictions of fetal development. Not to mention that these are among some of the creepiest things I’ve ever seen.
According to the website:
Micropreemie models are life size portrait models of real micropreemie human babies.
[…]
All models are portraits of real babies. Models 6 weeks and 7 weeks are original one of a kind sculpts. They can have a hat and tiny blanket. They are fragile and not poseable. Models eight weeks and over have jointed bodies and come dressed or undressed. All are medically accurate in size and human development. They have been checked for accuracy by Physcians, [sic] Neonatal Intensive Care Nurses, Dulas and the actual parents of the babies represented here. We recommend dressed models for use with children. Children are naturally drawn to these models.
The comparison pictures are from this website.
6 weeks gestation:
7 weeks gestation:
8 weeks gestation:
10 weeks gestation:
12 weeks gestation:
And some other random micropreemie images from the website:
8-18 weeks gestation:
In apples and cups:
And there is one non-white micropreemie on the website:
Size comparison with gummy bear and quarter:
Featured accessories: (yes, that is a micropreemie in a baby bottle. Yikes!)
Comments 12
auderey — May 19, 2008
this reminds me of the support-our-troop-fetus a few years back:http://www.misspoppy.com/catalog/xcart/customer/product.php?productid=16346
Sociological Images » Satire: support the troops fetus ornaments — May 19, 2008
[...] Ad: Obama as savage cannibalGwen on Icelandic Obama/Hillary Ad: Obama as savage cannibalauderey on depicting fetal development: micropreemie [...]
PrimitiveCulture — May 19, 2008
What on earth is the 12-weeks baby lying next to? Is that some sort of guinea pig baby? -X
wendy — May 19, 2008
@primitiveculture
It's actually a baby lop rabbit. I'm not sure why, but it is.
Village Idiot — May 19, 2008
I never knew kids could begin wearing clothes while still so young.
I suppose having a little plastic dumpster at the end of the progression of growth (implying a change of heart about keeping it) would be in poor taste, but hardly poorer than the dolls themselves.
Elena — May 22, 2008
Do these pro-lifers seriously support the homunculus theory of fetal development? Color me unsurprised :/
life size dolls — June 25, 2008
[...] models of real micropreemie human babies." Here they are compared with actual fetal development.http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2008/05/18/depicting-fetal-development-micropreemie-dolls/Lifesize Artist DollsLifesize Artist Dolls. Shell Babies. Egg Babies. Miniature Babies. [...]
real baby dolls — June 27, 2008
[...] models of real micropreemie human babies." Here they are compared with actual fetal development.http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2008/05/18/depicting-fetal-development-micropreemie-dolls/Amazon.com: Mattel Little Mommy Real Loving Baby Doll: Toys & GamesThe real Loving baby Doll [...]
baby dolls — June 30, 2008
[...] models of real micropreemie human babies." Here they are compared with actual fetal development.http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2008/05/18/depicting-fetal-development-micropreemie-dolls/The Tattoo Baby Doll ProjectAn exhibition of work by Sherri Wood in collaboration with various [...]
Ten weeks today. « THE ADVENTURES OF BABY REESE — November 10, 2009
[...] freak show here [...]
WCRim — November 18, 2009
I think it is marvelous. People throw living creatures in the garbage without a second thought while others try so desperately to have just one child to raise in a loving home. Perhaps callousness at the effort to bring home the reality of development (vs lies PP tells that it is a blood clot) is an underlying denial to accept what is in there- truth is that it is a life worth giving a chance to no matter how inconvenient to the person housing it.