YOUR belly button, be it an 'innie' or an 'outie', is a remnant of how you were once connected to your mother in the womb. The medical term for a belly button is navel, and it’s where your umbilical cord was attached to you. 3 From lumps and bumps around your navel, to odours and itches, it's worth paying attention to your belly button 3 GP and author Dr Philippa Kaye breaks down what this overlooked body part may be telling you Credit: Copyright TimKavanagh The umbilical cord is the connection between the blood circulation of the developing foetus and the placenta .
The two circulations do not mix, but oxygen, glucose and other substances can travel from the mum to the baby, and waste products such as carbon dioxide can be removed. After delivery, you begin to breathe on your own and the umbilical cord and placenta are no longer needed. The cord is cut, leaving a small umbilical stump which falls off over the next few days or weeks.
This leaves behind your belly button, which essentially is like a scar. While your belly button might not be a body part that you think about very often, it can give you clues about your overall health. From how it changes throughout your life, to lumps, smells, crusts and itches - here’s what your belly button can tell you.
Does the shape of your belly button mean anything? Everyone’s belly button is slightly different though there are various categories such as an ‘outie’ - which is thought to occur in about one in 10 people - and var.
