What causes a baby to cry, and why does a baby cry for no reason?
Applies to age: 0–12 months
In short
Crying is the way a baby says they need comfort and care; the most common reasons are hunger, a wet diaper, tiredness, wanting a cuddle, gas, being too warm or too cold, boredom and overstimulation. Constant crying that cannot be soothed may mean illness.
What is normal
All claims: international norm
- Crying is the way a baby says they need comfort and care.
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 is your baby's way of telling you they need comfort and care.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]
- The most common reasons for crying are hunger, a dirty or wet diaper, tiredness, wanting a cuddle, gas, a temperature that is too high or too low, boredom and overstimulation.
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 most common reasons for crying are: hunger a dirty or wet nappy tiredness wanting a cuddle wind being too hot or too cold boredom overstimulation
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]
- Sometimes it is easy to guess what the child wants, and sometimes it is not.
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:
Sometimes it's easy to work out what they want, and sometimes it's not.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]
- Most often, a child cries and cannot be comforted 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]
- Excessive crying may be a sign of 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:
Excessive crying could be a sign that your baby has colic.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]
- The cause of colic is not known.
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:
Everyone agrees that colic exists, but nobody knows what causes it.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]
When to worry
All claims: international norm
- Constant crying when the child cannot be soothed or distracted, 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]
- Crying during feedings is sometimes a symptom of reflux, a common condition in which a baby brings up milk after feedings.
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 during feeds can sometimes be a symptom of reflux in babies, a common condition where babies bring up milk after feeds.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]
ER / 112 (Poland)
Some claims: international norm
Immediate medical help needed: international norm
- A seizure in a child 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:
has a fit (seizure or convulsion)
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]
- A child's blue, gray, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue 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:
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 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 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 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:
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's condition 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]
- You 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
- Symptoms of illness, such as lack of interest in feeding, need 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:
Contact your GP or call NHS 111 if they have signs of being unwell, such as a high temperature or they’re not interested in feeding.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-12 · license [1]
- A patient who comes to a primary care (POZ) clinic when sick should get an appointment on the day of the request, and if that is not possible, at a time agreed with the patient.
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.