Home » Pregnancy & Parenting  » Pregnancy » Fixing an "Outie" Belly Button It is common for newborns to have a small hernia near the belly button, called an umbilical hernia. However, during the first year of life, this internal opening usually closes on its own. If it does not, the child may end up with an "outie" belly button.

Fixing this is usually very straightforward, but it needs to be done in an operating room. A small incision is made just under the belly button, and a few sutures are placed to anchor the belly button to the fascia to keep it down. An "outie" belly button that is not caused by a hernia should be relatively easy to fix as well.