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 › Fever and symptoms of illness

How long does a runny nose last in a baby, and what to do if it does not go away for several weeks?

Applies to age: 0–12 months

In short

With a cold, improvement should begin after about 1–2 weeks, and in young children symptoms may last longer. If symptoms do not go away after 10 days, it is worth seeing a doctor; if a cold in a child up to 2 years old is getting worse, it needs an urgent medical assessment.

Sources: NHS, Portal Pacjenta, NFZ i Akademia NFZChecked: Report an error

Do not do this

  • Dangerous Myth: “A child's stuffy nose can be cleared by breathing in steam from a bowl of hot water”

    Why it is wrong. Children must not breathe in steam from a bowl of hot water because of the risk of scalding.
    Instead. Do not let a child breathe in steam from a bowl of hot water.
    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:

    do not let children breathe in steam from a bowl of hot water because of the risk of scalding

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

What is normal

All claims: international norm

  • With a cold, improvement should begin after about 1–2 weeks.
    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:

    You should begin to feel better in about 1 to 2 weeks.

    NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [1]

  • Cold symptoms may last longer in young children.
    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:

    Symptoms of a cold can last longer in young children.

    NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [1]

  • In young children, a cold may come with irritability, trouble feeding and sleeping, breathing through the mouth, and vomiting after coughing.
    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:

    They may also be irritable, have difficulty feeding and sleeping, breathe through their mouth, and get sick after coughing.

    NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [1]

  • Colds are caused by viruses, and antibiotics work only against a bacterial infection.
    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:

    Antibiotics only work if you have a bacterial infection, but colds are caused by viruses.

    NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [1]

When to worry

All claims: international norm

Worth discussing with a doctor:

  • If cold symptoms do not go away after 10 days, 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 cold symptoms do not get better after 10 days

    NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [1]

ER / 112 (Poland)

Some claims: international norm

Immediate medical help needed: international norm

  • Difficulty breathing in a child (for example, grunting, the belly sucking in under the ribs, or fast breathing) 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 child is having difficulty breathing – you may notice grunting noises, their tummy sucking under their ribs or they may be breathing quickly

    NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [1]

  • Increased shortness of breath is a situation in which you call an emergency medical team (ZRM) at 112 (the emergency number in Poland) or 999 (the ambulance number in Poland).
    Source: NFZ i Akademia NFZ – show the quote

    Verbatim quote from the source:

    Polish original

    Wezwij zespół ratownictwa medycznego, jeśli ktoś w Twoim otoczeniu np. stracił przytomność, ma drgawki, zaburzenia rytmu serca, rozległe oparzenia, uporczywe wymioty – zwłaszcza z domieszką krwi, odczuwa nasiloną duszność lub ostry ból brzucha.

    NFZ i Akademia NFZ · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [3]

    Polish original

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

    NFZ i Akademia NFZ · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [3]

See a doctor

Some claims: international norm

Urgent medical assessment needed: international norm

  • When a child up to 2 years old has a cold that is getting worse, 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:

    Bronchiolitis is a common chest infection that affects babies and children under 2.

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

    your child has had a cold and it's getting worse

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

  • A sick person who goes to a primary care (POZ) clinic should get an appointment on the day of the request, 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: 2026-10-09 · 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 primary care (POZ) clinic's working hours, 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: 2026-10-09 · license [3]

  • You go to night and holiday care (NiŚOZ) among other things when symptoms get worse and you cannot wait until morning.
    Source: NFZ i Akademia NFZ – show the quote

    Verbatim quote from the source:

    Polish original

    objawy się nasilą i nie możesz czekać do rana

    NFZ i Akademia NFZ · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [3]

Myths

  • False Myth: “A child's cold (runny nose, cough) needs an antibiotic”

    Why it is wrong. Antibiotics will not ease cold symptoms or speed up recovery; they work only against a bacterial infection, and colds are caused by viruses.
    Instead. Do not give an antibiotic for a cold, because it will not ease symptoms or speed up recovery.
    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:

    GPs do not recommend antibiotics for colds because they will not relieve your symptoms or speed up your recovery.

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

    Antibiotics only work if you have a bacterial infection, but colds are caused by viruses.

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

  • False Myth: “Over-the-counter cough and cold medicines can be given to a child under 6 years old without advice from a doctor or pharmacist”

    Why it is wrong. Children under 6 years old should not be given over-the-counter cough and cold medicines, including decongestants, unless a doctor or pharmacist advises it.
    Instead. Before giving an over-the-counter cough or cold medicine to a child under 6 years old, ask a doctor or pharmacist.
    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:

    Children under 6 should not have over-the-counter cough and cold remedies, including decongestants, unless advised to by a GP or pharmacist.

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

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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