When should you see a doctor about a runny nose in an infant?
Applies to age: 0–12 months
In short
Difficulty breathing, pauses in breathing, blue or gray skin, tongue or lips, or a floppy child who will not wake up or stay awake need immediate medical help; call 999 (the ambulance number in Poland) or 112 (the emergency number in Poland). A cold that is getting worse needs urgent medical assessment.
What is normal
All claims: international norm
- The early symptoms of bronchiolitis in infants and children under 2 years are similar to a cold: sneezing, a runny or stuffy nose and a slightly high temperature.
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 early symptoms of bronchiolitis are similar to a cold, such as sneezing, a runny or blocked nose and a slightly high temperature.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-14 · license [1]
- In bronchiolitis, symptoms are usually worst between days 3 and 5, and the cough usually goes away within 3 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:
Symptoms are usually worst between days 3 and 5, and the cough usually gets better in 3 weeks.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-14 · license [1]
ER / 112 (Poland)
Some claims: international norm
Immediate medical help needed: international norm
- Difficulty breathing (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: 2026-10-14 · license [1]
- Pauses in 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:
there are pauses when your child breathes
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-14 · license [1]
- Blue or gray skin, tongue or lips 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:
your child's skin, tongue or lips are blue or grey
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-14 · license [1]
- A floppy child who will not wake up or stay awake 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 floppy and will not wake up or stay awake
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-14 · license [1]
- When a life is at risk, call one of the emergency numbers, 999 or 112.
Source: Portal Pacjenta – show the quote
Verbatim quote from the source:
Polish original
Jeśli potrzebujesz natychmiastowej pomocy, bo zagrożone jest Twoje lub czyjeś życie, możesz zadzwonić na jeden z dwóch numerów ratunkowych: 999 lub 112.
Portal Pacjenta · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-14 · license [2]
- Severe shortness of breath is one of the situations in which an emergency medical team (ZRM) is called.
Source: Portal Pacjenta – show the quote
Verbatim quote from the source:
Polish original
nasilona duszność
Portal Pacjenta · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-14 · license [2]
- Seizures are one of the situations in which an emergency medical team (ZRM) is called.
Source: Portal Pacjenta – show the quote
Verbatim quote from the source:
Polish original
drgawki
Portal Pacjenta · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-14 · license [2]
- Loss of consciousness is one of the situations in which an emergency medical team (ZRM) is called.
Source: Portal Pacjenta – show the quote
Verbatim quote from the source:
Polish original
utrata przytomności
Portal Pacjenta · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-14 · license [2]
- A very high fever with seizures, or with symptoms that do not usually occur in that person during a fever, is one of the situations that require calling an emergency medical team (ZRM).
Source: Portal Pacjenta – show the quote
Verbatim quote from the source:
Polish original
bardzo wysoka gorączka z drgawkami i/lub objawami, które zwykle u danej osoby podczas gorączki nie występują
Portal Pacjenta · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-14 · license [2]
See a doctor
Some claims: international norm
Urgent medical assessment needed: international norm
- A cold that is getting worse needs 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:
your child has had a cold and it's getting worse
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-14 · license [1]
- Eating or feeding much less than usual needs 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:
your child is feeding or eating much less than normal
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-14 · license [1]
- No wet diaper for 12 hours or more, or other signs of dehydration, need 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:
your child has had a dry nappy for 12 hours or more, or shows other signs of dehydration
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-14 · license [1]
- A child who is very tired, irritable or does not look like themselves needs 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:
your child is very tired, irritable or does not seem themselves
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-14 · license [1]
- Night and holiday care (NiŚOZ) is medical help outside the opening hours of a primary care (POZ) clinic.
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: 2026-10-14 · license [3]
- Go to NiŚOZ 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: 2026-10-14 · license [3]
- NiŚOZ sees patients around the clock on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
Source: NFZ i Akademia NFZ – show the quote
Verbatim quote from the source:
Polish original
Soboty, Niedziele i Święta: całodobowo.
NFZ i Akademia NFZ · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-14 · license [3]
- NiŚOZ sees patients from Monday to Friday from 18:00 to 8:00 the next morning.
Source: NFZ i Akademia NFZ – show the quote
Verbatim quote from the source:
Polish original
Poniedziałek – Piątek: 18:00 – 08:00 rano dnia następnego.
NFZ i Akademia NFZ · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-14 · license [3]
- No referral is needed for NiŚOZ.
Source: NFZ i Akademia NFZ – show the quote
Verbatim quote from the source:
Polish original
Nie potrzebujesz skierowania.
NFZ i Akademia NFZ · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-14 · license [3]
- If the patient's health requires it, a visit to the family doctor takes place on the day of the request.
Source: gov.pl – show the quote
Verbatim quote from the source:
Polish original
Jeśli stan zdrowia pacjenta tego wymaga, wizyta u lekarza rodzinnego odbywa się w dniu zgłoszenia, zgodnie z harmonogramem pracy danej przychodni.
gov.pl · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-14 · license [4]
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)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.
- gov.pl – serwisy Ministerstwa Zdrowia i GISLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: gov.pl – serwisy Ministerstwa Zdrowia i GIS. Content summarized and translated by the editors; changed relative to the original.