What determines if you have an “innie” or “outie” belly button?
Ah, one of the great mysteries of life! Searches on “belly button” and related phrases revealed that no one knows for sure why some people have a concave belly button while others have one that sticks out. Health and parenting web sites agree that most people have “innies” and only about 10% of the population has “outies.” But neither button style has any effect on health. The belly button is a tangible reminder that we were all intimately connected to our mothers at one time. Oxygen and nutrients travel from mom to baby through the umbilical cord, and when the baby is born, this cord is clamped off and cut. That leaves a tiny stump that dries up and falls off a few weeks after birth and usually leaves a concave scar we call a belly or tummy button. Sometimes, the scar pokes out from the stomach, resulting in an “outie.” As numerous sources including
