When you’re born, the umbilical cord is cut and you have a small piece left called the umbilical stump. One to 2 weeks after birth, this stump falls off and what remains is your belly button. As a result, your belly button is essentially a scar. Whether it’s an innie or outie depends on how your skin grows as it heals.
In this post
Most people who have an “outie” fall into one of two categories: either they were born with a tiny umbilical hernia, which is most likely, or had a small infection at the base of the umbilical cord that went unnoticed. This will cause unusual tissue called granulation tissue to form.
Innie or outie: Whether you have an innie or an outie bellybutton has nothing to do with whether your mother had one or your father or your grandfather. In other words, it has nothing to do with genetics. And it has nothing to do with how the doctor cut your umbilical cord.
They occur when part of the intestine bulges through the umbilical opening in the abdominal muscles. This creates a soft bulge or swelling near the navel that might become more noticeable when the baby cries or strains. They are more common in premature babies, low birth weight babies, and Black infants.
Can an outie become an innie?
No. Some people claim you can change an outie to an innie – by taping a quarter over it, for example – but it’s just not true.
Up to 90 percent of the general population has an “innie,” which leaves the other 10 percent with an outie belly button. Although some would have you believe that an outie is the result of the way the umbilical cord was cut, this just isn’t true.
A majority of people around the world have an innie belly button, but outies are incredibly common as well. The cause for concern about an outie belly button is when that outward bulge is actually a medical condition known as an umbilical hernia.
According to a study at the University of Missouri, small, T-shaped belly buttons are the most attractive. Researchers showed pictures of innies, outies, and belly buttons of all shapes and sizes to a group of men and women who rated them on a scale of 1 to 10 from least to most attractive.
This photo shows what the belly button looks like from inside the abdomen. As you can see, it is not attached to anything in the body. The belly button is where the umbilical cord attaches to the fetus, connecting the developing baby to the placenta.
Some people don’t have a belly button, and the reason for this may be related to surgical history or just an anomaly in how the belly button formed (or didn’t, for that matter). Most of the time, if you don’t have a belly button, it’s related to a surgery or a medical condition you had when you were younger.
Are Outies rare?
Protruding “outies” can be found on approximately 10 percent of the population. They’re about as common as left-handedness. A longstanding theory, or old wives’ tale, “blames” doctors’ techniques for creating outies.
When people complain of bellybutton smells, they use all kinds of adjectives to describe them: Cheesy, sour or even “like poop.” Here’s what may be happening: Overgrowth of yeast on the skin can lead to a condition called intertrigo, Dr. Zeichner says.
Your belly button, also called the navel or umbilicus, has no function after birth and is simply a scar or remnant of the umbilical cord that connected you to your mother. The umbilical cord provides oxygen and nutrition to a baby during pregnancy, and it is cut and removed after birth, leaving a scar.
Your Belly Button Is Connected to Your Liver
But just like your belly button is a leftover remnant of the external umbilical cord, there are also internal vestiges of the prenatal connection with your mom.
supermodel Karolina Kurkova
So how in the world does Czech supermodel Karolina Kurkova not have one? Yep, the fashion production peeps (Tracey, what are these people called?) reportedly have to airbrush a faux belly button on in her photo shoots. Read on for one explanation
Do test tube babies have umbilical cords?
The tube is put in a blood vessel in a newborn baby’s belly button (umbilicus). The tube can be used to get blood for testing. And it can be used to give medicine, nutrition, and fluids. The belly button is where the umbilical cord was attached to the baby before birth.
Why do some people have Outies?
Most people end up with innies, but some people have outies. Outies usually occur when more of the umbilical cord is left when it’s cut, leading to more skin left over once it dries out. In some rare cases, outies are caused by a condition known as an umbilical hernia.
Although you can’t control whether you get an outie or an innie bellybutton, all outies can be fixed through surgery if someone is unhappy with the look.