What does hysterical, piercing or strange crying in a baby mean?
Applies to age: 0–12 months
In short
Constant crying that cannot be soothed, or crying that sounds different than usual, may be a sign of illness. Seizures, a change in skin color, floppiness or difficulty breathing need immediate medical help.
What is normal
All claims: international norm
- Crying with colic sounds miserable and distressed, stops for a moment or two, then starts again.
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:
The crying sounds miserable and distressed, and stops for a moment or two, then starts up again, which suggests it could be caused by waves of stomach pain.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]
- Colic sometimes happens in babies under 5 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:
This sometimes happens in babies who are under 5 months old.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]
- Crying with colic can last for several hours.
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:
The crying can go on for some hours.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]
- The times of day when a baby cries a lot and cannot be soothed most often fall in the afternoon and evening.
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:
Afternoon and evening are the most common times for this to happen.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]
When to worry
All claims: international norm
- Constant crying that you cannot soothe or distract the child from, or crying that does not sound like the child's usual cry, may be a sign of illness.
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:
If your baby is crying constantly and you cannot console or distract them, or the cry does not sound like their normal cry, it can be a sign they're ill.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]
ER / 112 (Poland)
Some claims: international norm
Immediate medical help needed: international norm
- Seizures in a child need 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:
has a fit (seizure or convulsion)
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]
- Blue, gray, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue in a child need 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:
has blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue – on brown and black skin this may be easier to see on the palms of their hands or soles of their feet
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]
- Unresponsiveness, floppiness or waking up less easily than usual need 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 unresponsive, floppy or not waking up as easily as usual
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]
- Difficulty breathing, breathlessness or very fast breathing need 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:
has difficulty breathing (you may notice grunting noises or their stomach sucking under their ribcage), is breathless or breathing very fast
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]
- An ambulance is called when a sick person suddenly gets worse in a way that may lead to harm to their 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]
- People 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
- A patient who comes to a primary care (POZ) clinic while sick should get an appointment the same day, and 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]
- Outside the opening 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]
- If in doubt, it is better to consult 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.
Sources
- 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.
- Portal Pacjenta (pacjent.gov.pl)
- https://pacjent.gov.pl/aktualnosc/kiedy-wezwac-karetke
- https://pacjent.gov.pl/jak-dziala-podstawowa-opieka-zdrowotna
License: CC BY 3.0 PL. Source: Portal Pacjenta (pacjent.gov.pl). Content summarized and translated by the editors; changed relative to the original. - NFZ i Akademia NFZLicense: 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.