text: belly button infection? my friend next to me has a belly button infection. . it smells and is sore and swelled up. .what caused this. .was it drinking too much?  or is it something else?  should he see a doctor?  what can help? go see the doctor asap.  the liver has a connection to the belly button called the round ligament.  if her belly button is infected it can possibly travel to the liver and that is bad news.