The absence of a belly button, or navel (umbilicus), is rare and usually results from medical necessity or surgical intervention. The navel is fundamentally a scar that almost every person has, marking the point where the umbilical cord once connected a developing fetus to the placenta. Since the belly button is not an organ but simply the remnant of a biological structure, its absence is a medical possibility, often linked to life-saving procedures performed shortly after birth.
How the Belly Button Forms
The formation of the belly button begins with the umbilical cord, a flexible tube that carries oxygen and nutrients from the mother’s placenta to the fetus, while also removing waste. This cord is the sole physical connection between the developing baby and the mother’s body. The cord attaches to the fetus at a point on the abdominal wall that will become the navel.
Immediately after birth, the umbilical cord is clamped and severed, leaving a small stump attached to the newborn’s abdomen. This stump typically shrivels and falls off within one to two weeks. The resulting healed area of skin is the umbilicus, which is defined as scar tissue. The final appearance of the belly button, whether it is an “innie” or an “outie,” depends on how the skin heals and grows around the scar tissue.
Medical Reasons for the Absence of an Umbilicus
The absence of a typical umbilicus is most often a consequence of surgery required to correct congenital abdominal wall defects. Two common conditions that necessitate this life-saving intervention are gastroschisis and omphalocele. Both involve a failure of the abdominal wall to close completely during fetal development, allowing abdominal organs to protrude outside the body.
In cases of omphalocele, the infant’s intestines and sometimes other organs protrude through a defect in the abdominal wall right where the umbilical cord is located. The organs are typically covered by a thin, protective sac. The extensive surgery required to return the organs to the abdominal cavity and close the large defect often means the original umbilical cord insertion site is completely altered or removed during the reconstruction.
Gastroschisis involves a similar defect, but the intestines protrude through a hole next to the umbilical cord, and the organs are not covered by a sac. Surgical repair for this condition requires placing the exposed bowel back inside the abdomen and closing the opening. While surgeons may attempt to preserve the cord remnant, the necessary repair techniques can result in a smooth abdomen with only a small, non-traditional indentation instead of a normal belly button.
The absence of a navel can also be the result of surgical procedures performed later in life, though this is less common than congenital repair. An abdominoplasty, often called a tummy tuck, removes excess skin and fat from the abdomen. During this procedure, the surgeon may reposition the umbilicus, but in rare cases of extensive skin removal, the umbilicus might be completely eliminated, leading to an “absent” appearance.
Life and Health Implications of Not Having a Belly Button
From a medical standpoint, the absence of a belly button has no negative effect on a person’s physical health or bodily function after infancy. Once the umbilical cord stump has healed, the umbilicus serves no physiological purpose, as it is only scar tissue. A person without a navel does not experience any impairment to their digestive, circulatory, or other organ systems.
The most noticeable difference for a person without an umbilicus is the cosmetic appearance of a smooth abdomen, which can sometimes be a source of social or psychological adjustment. In many cases, surgeons attempt to create an indentation or a “pseudo-navel” during the initial repair or a later procedure to give the appearance of a normal belly button.
The health implications are tied not to the missing navel itself, but to the underlying congenital condition that necessitated the surgery. Successful surgical repair means the patient can lead a healthy life. The absence of the umbilicus is simply an outward sign of a complex, life-saving medical history.