Understanding Your Belly Button: Anatomy, Types, Infections (2024)

• Introduction
  • What is the belly button?
• Odor
  • Why do belly buttons smell?
• Cleaning
  • How to clean your belly button
• Conditions
  • Why do some people not have a belly button?
• Surgery
  • What surgeries can affect the belly button?

What is the belly button?

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 connects 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.

Why do belly buttons smell?

If not cleaned regularly, the belly button can produce an unpleasant odor due to the following conditions:

• Infections: Researchers have found out that nearly 67 varieties of bacteria may be present in the belly button. Because the belly button can trap moisture, the skin inside provides an environment in which bacteria can breed, which can lead to an infection. Along with odor, there may be a brownish or yellowish discharge from the belly button.
• Belly button lint: Dead skin cells, hair, bacteria, and cloth fibers can accumulate in the belly button and produce a bad smell.
• Omphaloliths: Over time, dead skin cells and sebum can collect in the belly button and create omphaloliths, or navel stones. These are similar to blackheads and can be removed with tweezers rather than being pressed out.
• Epidermoid and pilar cysts: Small cysts can form near the hair follicles (pilar cysts) or on the top layer of the skin (epidermoid cysts). These produce thick keratin mucus. As the cysts grow larger, they can burst and release thick, yellow, foul-smelling discharge.
• Sebaceous cysts: Sebaceous cysts are less common, forming in the sebaceous glands and often becoming infected.

How to clean your belly button

Gently wipe the inside of the belly button with a cotton swab dipped in salt water or soap water. Following a shower, use another clean, dry swab or the corner of a towel or washcloth to gently dry the insides of the belly button to remove all the moisture.

Why do some people not have a belly button?

Some people may not have a belly button for the following reasons:

• Gastroschisis: Gastroschisis is a congenital abdominal wall defect that causes a hole next to the belly button, most commonly seen on the right side. The intestine passes through the hole and develops outside the baby’s body within the amniotic fluid during fetal development. In severe cases of gastroschisis, the liver and pancreas may pass through the hole in the abdominal wall. According to the CDC, 1 out of 2000 babies is affected. Surgery is recommended immediately after birth to increase survival and lower the risk of later complications.
• Omphalocele: Omphalocele is a type of congenital abdominal wall defect where a hole is formed in the belly button. The intestines and other exposed organs are protected by a translucent, membranous sac, which shields the organs from the amniotic fluid that surrounds the infant during pregnancy. The intestines and other internal organs may extend from the abdomen into the umbilical cord during the early stages of pregnancy but usually retreat inside the abdomen by week 11. Omphalocele occurs when the organs do not return to the abdomen. According to the CDC, 1 out of every 4,200 babies in the United States is born with omphalocele. After birth, surgery is done to push back the contents inside.
• Bladder exstrophy: This is a very rare condition in which the fetal bladder is exposed outside the abdomen.
• Cloacal exstrophy: This is a relatively rare condition that occurs when a baby's bladder and a section of the intestines do not form normally and are found outside the body.

What surgeries can affect the belly button?

Some surgical procedures may result in the loss of the belly button. In some cases, an indentation will remain where the belly button was formerly.

• Breast reconstruction with abdominal tissues: Breast reconstruction surgery performed after a mastectomy may require the use of muscles and tissue from the stomach to rebuild the breast.
• Umbilical hernia repair: An umbilical hernia occurs when there is a weakness in or around the belly button, which allows the intestines to push toward the abdominal wall and form a lump. This may lead to blood flow issues if left unchecked. Surgery is performed to open the area and push the contents back into place.
• Abdominoplasty: Also called a tummy tuck, abdominoplasty removes extra fat from the abdomen and helps to tighten weakening stomach muscles, which smoothes the look of the stomach.
• Laparotomy: A laparotomy is a surgical procedure in which an incision is made in the abdominal wall, usually performed when a surgeon knows something is amiss with the stomach but is unsure of the underlying cause.

Can a belly button be created surgically?

A belly button can be created surgically through the following methods:

• Neoumbilicoplasty: Neoumbilicoplasty is done to create a belly button in people who don’t have one. Most techniques require creating thin flaps of skin that are held together by a suture or surgical tie sewn to deeper layers of skin called fascia. This can give the appearance of a belly button.
• Umbilicoplasty: Umbilicoplasty is a surgical technique that improves or reconstructs the appearance of a belly button, which some people elect to have following a pregnancy, abdominal surgery, or liposuction.

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Flo Health. Why Does Your Belly Button Smell? https://flo.health/menstrual-cycle/health/symptoms-and-diseases/why-does-your-belly-button-smell

Bradford EL. Strange but true: Babies born with no belly button. Babycenter. https://www.babycenter.com/health/conditions/strange-but-true-babies-born-with-no-belly-button_10364943

North Raleigh Plastic Surgery. Belly Button Surgery. https://www.northraleighplasticsurgery.com/belly-button-surgery-faqs/