The line also features dolls who use wheelchairs, prosthetic limbs, hearing aids, dolls with vitiligo and a doll without hair. She said: “I am so happy that there is a Barbie with Down’s syndrome. Seeing the doll, I felt so overwhelmed - it meant a lot to me and I’m so honoured and proud that Barbie chose me to show the doll to the world. My middle little girl is all about her dolls now. She is now 3 years old and hit that lovely stage of wanting to care for her dolls, feed them and put them to bed. It’s adorable to watch and I always say 3 is such a fun age. Lots of chatter, imaginary games and lots of cuddles. She has asked for a doll this Christmas and I thought the new Elli Smiles Doll by Zapf Creation would be perfect for her. She specifically asked for a baby with a potty and a dummy, so I knew she would be so adorable. This Elli Smiles Doll Review may help you choose whether or not it is the perfect present for your little one. For reasons of hygiene and safety, personal grooming products, cosmetics or items of intimate clothing cannot be returned.

Elie Habibi, in her 20s, a professional doll maker from West Yorkshire, builds each one from scratch. Since its inception in 1959, Barbie has introduced more than 175 looks with a variety in skin tones, hair textures, body diversity and dolls reflecting people with disabilities. This Barbie serves as a reminder that we should never underestimate the power of representation. It is a huge step forward for inclusion and a moment that we are celebrating.” Diversity is important to me as people need to see more people like me out there in the world and not be hidden away.” The new face sculpt features a rounder shape, smaller ears, and a flat nasal bridge, while the eyes are almond shaped. The doll’s palms even include a single line, a characteristic often associated with those with Down’s syndrome.

Eli Doll was easy to get out and hubby had 3 x AAA batteries at the ready, so we go her set up. First impressions was she was a very sweet looking doll, with a soft body. Very nice to cuddle for my girls. Barbie consulted with the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) in the US and medical professionals informed the design process, introducing a new face and body sculpt to be more illustrative of women with Down’s syndrome, including a shorter frame and a longer torso.

I found her quite straight forward also. The instructions are in picture form and easy to understand and is not too complex in the respect, she does a lot but not too much! The girls have reviewed other toys and they have just been a little too complicated and hard for even my eldest to follow. Elli Smiles is perfect in she does what a real baby does. She drinks, uses her potty or nappy and falls asleep. Perfect for children to care for her.

The other 15% I would say are angel mothers, so those who have suffered a loss during pregnancy or after. I tend to sell mainly to art enthusiasts. I would say 80% of the buyers are literally just people who love babies and art, and these dolls are a combination of the two so it's perfect. Read More Related Articles British model Ellie Goldstein poses with Barbie's first doll with Down's syndrome, the newest addition to the Fashionistas line We are proud to introduce a Barbie doll with Down syndrome to better reflect the world around us and further our commitment to celebrating inclusion through play.”

There is also a nappy included but as we were saving this for my middle girl’s Christmas present we didn’t get this out of the box. Price-wise the Elli Smiles doll is competitive with other interactive products on the market at present and I can imagine she will be popular, as is so sweet and quite original. They are sculpted using clay, then moulded and poured into silicone. The paint we use is also silicone based and is really quite difficult to get the hang of.The smiling aspect is so clever and the way she says “mama” and smiles will melt some little children’s hearts. She sounds like my little boy saying “mama”, so it is really cute! You have to press the heart button on Elli Smiles tummy and this makes her wee; either in her nappy or on the potty. The doll also wears pink ankle foot orthotics (AFOs) to match her outfit and the trainers have a zip detail.