This is an English rendering of a Polish public-health reference. The care paths it names (112, night and holiday care NiŚOZ, primary care POZ) are Polish. This is not medical advice.

PL

This is not medical advice Life-threatening emergency (Poland): 112

Home › Crying and colic

Is colic in a baby related to reflux or constipation?

Applies to age: 0–6 months

In short

The exact cause of colic is not known, and reflux and constipation are named separately as possible reasons why a baby cries. Reflux is milk coming back up during or after feeding; crying without settling can be one of its symptoms.

Sources: NHS, Portal Pacjenta, NFZ i Akademia NFZChecked: Approved: October 13, 2026Report an error

What is normal

All claims: international norm

  • Colic is when a baby cries a lot and there is no obvious cause.
    Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)

    Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:

    Colic is when a baby cries a lot but there's no obvious cause.

    NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]

  • It is not known exactly what causes colic in some babies.
    Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)

    Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:

    It's not known exactly what causes some babies to get colic.

    NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]

  • Reflux is named among other possible reasons why a baby cries, alongside colic.
    Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)

    Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:

    have reflux

    NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]

  • Constipation is named among other possible reasons why a baby cries, alongside colic.
    Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)

    Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:

    have constipation

    NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]

  • Reflux is milk coming back up or vomiting during feeding or shortly after it; it is very common and usually goes away on its own.
    Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)

    Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:

    Reflux is when a baby brings up milk, or is sick, during or shortly after feeding.

    NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]

  • Crying without settling is named among the symptoms of reflux in babies.
    Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)

    Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:

    crying and not settling

    NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]

  • The symptoms of reflux can be very similar to those of cow's milk allergy, so a doctor or specialist may check for it.
    Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)

    Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:

    A GP or specialist may want to check whether your baby has an allergy to cow's milk, because the symptoms can be very similar to reflux.

    NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]

  • A baby's crying may also result from problems with a food allergy, such as cow's milk allergy.
    Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)

    Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:

    Or they may be crying because they have problems with food allergies, such as a cows' milk allergy.

    NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]

  • Reflux usually starts before 8 weeks of age and gets better by the time the child is a year old.
    Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)

    Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:

    Reflux usually starts before a baby is 8 weeks old and gets better by the time they're 1.

    NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]

  • Colic usually stops when the child is 3 to 4 months old.
    Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)

    Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:

    It usually stops by the time they're 3 to 4 months old.

    NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]

  • A baby under 1 year of age often spits up a small amount of milk during or shortly after feeding, without signs of distress.
    Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)

    Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:

    It's common for a baby under the age of 1 to bring up a little bit of milk during or shortly after a feed, without being distressed.

    NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]

When to worry

All claims: international norm

Worth discussing with a doctor:

  • If a baby with reflux is not gaining weight or is losing weight, it is worth seeing a doctor.
    Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)

    Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:

    is not gaining weight or is losing weight

    NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]

  • If reflux appears for the first time after 6 months of age, it is worth seeing a doctor.
    Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)

    Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:

    gets reflux for the first time after they're 6 months old

    NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]

  • If symptoms of colic continue after 4 months of age, it is worth seeing a doctor.
    Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)

    Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:

    your baby still has symptoms of colic after 4 months of age

    NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]

ER / 112 (Poland)

Some claims: international norm

Immediate medical help needed: international norm

  • A weak or high-pitched, shrill cry in a baby needs immediate medical help.
    Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)

    Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:

    your baby has a weak or high-pitched cry

    NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]

  • Strong, frequent vomiting (projectile vomiting) in a crying baby needs immediate medical help.
    Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)

    Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:

    is being violently sick a lot (projectile vomiting)

    NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]

  • An ambulance is called when a sick person's condition suddenly worsens in a way that may lead to harm to health.
    Source: Portal Pacjenta – show the quote

    Verbatim quote from the source:

    Polish original

    nagłego pogorszenia się stanu osoby chorej, który może prowadzić do uszczerbku na zdrowiu

    Portal Pacjenta · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [2]

  • Call 112 (the emergency number in Poland) or 999 (the ambulance number in Poland) when life or health is at risk.
    Source: NFZ i Akademia NFZ – show the quote

    Verbatim quote from the source:

    Polish original

    Zadzwoń na 112 lub 999, jeśli zagrożone jest życie lub zdrowie.

    NFZ i Akademia NFZ · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [3]

See a doctor

Some claims: international norm

Urgent medical assessment needed: international norm

  • A baby's crying that does not stop and comes with great distress (in a baby with reflux) needs an urgent medical assessment.
    Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)

    Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:

    will not stop crying and is very distressed

    NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]

  • Vomit that is green or yellow or has blood in it needs an urgent medical assessment.
    Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)

    Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:

    has vomit that's green or yellow, or has blood in it

    NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]

  • Blood in a baby's stool needs an urgent medical assessment.
    Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)

    Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:

    has blood in their poo

    NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]

  • A sick person who comes to a primary care (POZ) clinic should get an appointment on the same day they come in, or, if that is not possible, at a time agreed with them.
    Source: Portal Pacjenta – show the quote

    Verbatim quote from the source:

    Polish original

    Jeśli przyjdziesz chory do przychodni, powinieneś uzyskać wizytę w dniu zgłoszenia.

    Portal Pacjenta · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [2]

    Polish original

    Jeśli to niemożliwe - w terminie uzgodnionym z tobą.

    Portal Pacjenta · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [2]

  • After the working hours of a POZ clinic, medical help is provided by night and holiday care (NiŚOZ).
    Source: NFZ i Akademia NFZ – show the quote

    Verbatim quote from the source:

    Polish original

    Nocna i świąteczna opieka zdrowotna to pomoc lekarska po godzinach pracy przychodni POZ.

    NFZ i Akademia NFZ · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [3]

  • When in doubt, it is better to see a doctor.
    Source: NFZ i Akademia NFZ – show the quote

    Verbatim quote from the source:

    Polish original

    Zawsze jeśli masz wątpliwości – lepiej skonsultować się z lekarzem.

    NFZ i Akademia NFZ · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [3]

international norm “International norm” next to a section heading means its claims come from a non-Polish source, because no Polish source in our registry covers this topic. When this applies to only some of the claims, the foreign ones carry the same label next to their source.

International norm

“International norm” next to a section heading means its claims come from a non-Polish source, because no Polish source in our registry covers this topic. When this applies to only some of the claims, the foreign ones carry the same label next to their source.

Sources

  1. NHS (nhs.uk, Anglia)
    License: Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: NHS (nhs.uk, Anglia). Content summarized and translated by the editors; changed relative to the original. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The summary is ours and is not attributed to the NHS.
  2. Portal Pacjenta (pacjent.gov.pl)
    License: CC BY 3.0 PL. Source: Portal Pacjenta (pacjent.gov.pl). Content summarized and translated by the editors; changed relative to the original.
  3. NFZ i Akademia NFZ
    License: Treści NFZ – wykorzystanie ze wskazaniem źródła, bez obrotu komercyjnego. Source: NFZ i Akademia NFZ. Content summarized and translated by the editors; changed relative to the original.

See an error or outdated information? Report an error in this answer. Answer checked against the sources on October 12, 2026.

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