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.
This is not medical advice Life-threatening emergency (Poland): 112
Home › Myths and facts
Collected from the answers to questions, with no content of its own. Every myth has a source, a correction and a link to the question where it appears.
Dangerous Myth: “A child's stuffy nose is 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.
Question: How do you treat a runny nose in a baby (suctioning, medicines, home remedies)?
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.
Question: How long does a runny nose last in a baby, and what to do if it does not go away for several weeks?
Dangerous Myth: “Gentle pressure on a baby's spine or skull (spinal manipulation, cranial osteopathy) helps with colic”
Why it is wrong. There is little evidence that this works, and such a procedure may hurt the baby.
Dangerous Myth: “Cradle cap crusts have to be scraped off”
Why it is wrong. Picking at the crusts may increase the risk of infection.
Question: What does cradle cap look like and where can it appear (head, eyebrows, forehead, ears)?
False Myth: “A child's cold (runny nose, cough) needs an antibiotic”
Why it is wrong. Antibiotics will not relieve cold symptoms or speed up recovery; they work only against bacterial infection, and colds are caused by viruses.
Question: How do you treat a runny nose in a baby (suctioning, medicines, home remedies)?
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.
Question: How long does a runny nose last in a baby, and what to do if it does not go away for several weeks?
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.
Question: How long does a runny nose last in a baby, and what to do if it does not go away for several weeks?
False Myth: “After a few months of life, every baby should already sleep through the night”
Why it is wrong. At 3–6 months, some babies may sleep 5 to 8 hours or longer at night, but not all; some do not sleep through the night for a long time.
Question: How much should a baby sleep at each month of life?
False Myth: “Introducing solid foods will make the child sleep through the whole night.”
Why it is wrong. Starting solid foods does not increase the chance that the child will sleep through the night.
Question: What age can you start BLW?
False Myth: “When a baby has diarrhea or vomiting, you have to stop breastfeeding or bottle-feeding for a while”
Why it is wrong. With diarrhea and vomiting, you should keep breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, and with vomiting, try giving small feeds more often than usual.
False Myth: “With diarrhea, a child needs a special diet: lactose-free, "binding" or very easy to digest”
Why it is wrong. There is no indication for introducing a lactose-free, binding or very easy-to-digest diet.
False Myth: “With diarrhea, a baby's formula has to be diluted to make it weaker”
Why it is wrong. Baby formula should be prepared at its usual strength, not weaker.
False Myth: “Cradle cap is contagious and can be caught from other babies”
Why it is wrong. The cause of cradle cap is not clear, but it cannot be caught from other babies.
Question: When does cradle cap appear in a baby and how long does it last?
False Myth: “A rash without a raised temperature cannot mean a serious illness”
Why it is wrong. A child may not have a high temperature and still be seriously ill.
Question: When should you see a doctor about a rash in a baby, including when it comes with a fever?
False Myth: “Introducing solid foods will make the infant sleep through the night more often.”
Why it is wrong. Starting solid foods does not increase the chances that the child will sleep through the night.
Unproven Myth: “Teething causes diarrhea.”
Why it is wrong. There is no evidence that teething causes diarrhea.
Question: Does teething cause diarrhea, vomiting or loss of appetite?
Unproven Myth: “Colic drops, herbal supplements or probiotics will soothe a baby's colic”
Why it is wrong. Such remedies for colic, including anti-colic drops and herbal and probiotic supplements, are not recommended, and there is no evidence that they help with colic.
Question: How long does colic last in a baby, and when does it go away?
Unproven Myth: “Teething causes diarrhea”
Why it is wrong. There is no evidence that teething causes symptoms such as diarrhea.