Barbie doll with Down’s syndrome launched by Mattel

The doll’s face and body sculpt is designed to be more illustrative of women with Down’s syndrome. Photograph: Jason Tidwell/Mattel

Barbie is launching its first doll with Down’s syndrome in an effort to help more children find a toy that represents them.

Mattel bosses said they wanted to bring out the doll to “enable all children to see themselves in Barbie”. They partnered with the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) in the US to bring the product to market.