Belly buttons indicate women's potential to procreate

Helsinki, Finland, February 5: A new Finnish study explores the belly button beyond its aesthetic significance or navel gazing, as its size and shape seem to indicate the vitality factor in women.

Finnish researcher Aki Sinkkonen from University of Helsinki suggests that the umbilical scar symbolizes more than just the beauty. He feels that it indicates reproductive potential in fertile women.

Sinkkonen stated in the The FASEB Journal's recent issue, "I propose that umbilicus, together with the surrounding skin area, is an honest signal of individual vigor."

"More precisely, I suggest that the symmetry, shape, and position of umbilicus can be used to estimate the reproductive potential of fertile females, including risks of certain genetically and maternally inherited fetal anomalies."

The belly button or navel is the resultant of the clipped umbilical corddefine, which supplies oxygen and essential nutrition to the unborn in pregnancy. Later, the cord is cut and secured until the remnant falls off after drying up, leaving a scar that we refer to as the navel.

In his course of study, Sinkkonen found that people prefer oval or vertical or rather T-shaped belly buttons with a bit of hooding but protruding ones are not considered ideal.

However, he says, it is still to be figured that how many sizes and shapes of this scar are there. But preferences reveal that a gaping wide belly button is not desirable and protruding ones are strictly out of choice for people.

He evaluated many other studies related to the umbilicus to derive his statements in this research. He feels that the umbilical cord is a significant component in pregnancy and childbirth and the scar tissue can detect many medical problems.

According to Sinkkonen, "I suggest that umbilicus is a fitness signal. I may be wrong. However, many mammals do not have a visible umbilicus. We have, but it does not have an obvious function, except signaling."

"If further research confirms the signaling hypothesis, female umbilici may be routinely measured to detect risk pregnancies of several fetal abnormalities," Sinkkonen noted in the journal.

However, Sinkkonen remarked on a lighter note that the imperfect-sounding configuration of belly button must not become a matter to worry, when it comes to love life.

"Don't worry. Nobody's perfect except Angelina Jolie. Seriously, I know wonderful women who believe that their umbilicus/belly button is ugly. Nobody should pay too much attention on the details of his/her body," he added.