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Here’s Why You Have an Outie Belly Button

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Remember the good old days when you and your siblings would crowd around and compare belly buttons? While most of the us have innie belly buttons, there was alway someone you knew—maybe a classmate or a neighbor—who had an outie belly button. Because they’re statistically pretty rare (only four percent of people have them), it’s not surprising that there are a lot of myths surrounding a protruding navel. Let’s clear those up now.

Having an outie belly button has nothing to do with the umbilical cord

You’ve probably heard that outie belly buttons are a result of the way the doctor cut or clamped your umbilical cord; not true! In reality, most outie belly buttons are a result of scar tissue underneath the belly button, meaning the type of belly button you’re blessed with is out of your control.

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One day you could have an innie belly button and the next day an outie belly button

Belly buttons can change, and if yours does there’s no need to be alarmed. Doctors call this an umbilical hernia, which sounds a lot more terrifying than it actually is.

“The majority of umbilical hernias go away on their own by the age of five, but parents must to know how to monitor them in the rare instance that emergency evaluation is needed,” pediatrician Dr. Diego Salinas, told PureWow.

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Some women who have gotten pregnant will also know that during pregnancy, an innie can suddenly turn into an outie as a result of the abdomen stretching. After the child is born, the belly button usually returns to its previous state.

If you have an outie belly button and these questions have plagued you or you have a inquisitive grandchild with an outie belly button, now you’re equipped with an answer the next time someone comes asking.

h/t PureWow

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