Why does my newborn sound blocked up and snore when not ill?
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) explains that nasal noises in newborns are usually caused by dried mucus, not a cold. Sneezing is a reflex that clears the nose of dust, fluff or smoke. Gurgling in the throat during sleep comes from air moving through saliva or milk that has come back up, and according to the AAP it eases as the baby learns to swallow more often.
A blocked nose does get in the way of feeding, because a baby breathes through the nose at the breast or bottle. Medycyna Praktyczna (mp.pl, a Polish medical portal) also points out that infants have narrow airways, so even a little mucus or swelling can make breathing harder. That is why with a newborn it is worth watching the whole baby, not just the nose.
| More likely normal | More likely an infection |
|---|---|
| Snuffling and sneezing with no other symptoms | Watery, then thicker runny nose, often a cough |
| Baby feeds and sleeps as usual | Baby feeds less, is grizzly or sleepy |
| No fever | Raised temperature or fever |
| Nobody at home is ill | Someone at home or an older sibling has a cold |
Newborn with a runny nose: what can you do at home?
There is no medicine that makes a cold in a baby go away faster. According to the AAP, a runny nose usually lasts 7-14 days and a cough 2-3 weeks, and the NHS says most colds in young children get better within 2 weeks. In the meantime, clearing the nose and keeping feeds going help most:
- Saline drops. The AAP advises putting 1 drop in each nostril and then suctioning the mucus, no more than 4 times a day. The best times are before feeds and when your baby cannot breathe through the nose. The NHS confirms that saline drops loosen dried mucus.
- Gentle suction. A nasal aspirator or bulb syringe removes mucus from the front of the nose. Do not put cotton buds into the nose, because the AAP says they can damage the lining.
- Shorter, more frequent feeds. For bronchiolitis the NHS recommends smaller feeds more often. Breast or bottle feeds keep your baby hydrated, and fluids thin the mucus.
- Upright when awake. The NHS advises keeping a poorly baby upright during the day and checking on them often, including overnight.
- Moist, cool air. The AAP considers cool-mist humidifiers safer for young children than steam ones, because there is no risk of burns. Clean the humidifier as the instructions say so that mould and bacteria do not grow in it. For the baby's room the NHS recommends about 16-20 °C, and Medycyna Praktyczna 18-20 °C for RSV.
- No smoke. Nobody should smoke in the baby's home. NICE says tobacco smoke makes bronchiolitis symptoms worse.
Medycyna Praktyczna notes that very few nasal products are licensed for babies under 3 months, so saline and suction are the basis of care. If a newborn without a fever feeds and sleeps well, a Medycyna Praktyczna doctor says it is reasonable to watch for 2-3 days. With a fever, breathing difficulties or any doubt at all, a young baby should be seen by a doctor.
How should a baby with a cold sleep?
A cold does not change the safe sleep rules. The NHS recommends always putting your baby down on their back, with their feet at the bottom of the cot, and not using pillows, duvets, cot bumpers, loose blankets, soft toys, pods or anything that keeps the baby in one position.
- Do not put a wedge or pillow under the mattress. The AAP says raising the head of the cot does not help and increases the risk of the baby sliding down. The AAP also does not recommend positioners, wedges or inclined sleepers.
- Do not let your baby overheat. A poorly baby overheats easily. The NHS advises checking the temperature on the back of the neck or chest, taking off hats and extra layers as soon as you come indoors and not putting the baby to sleep next to a heater.
- Check more often. For bronchiolitis the NHS advises checking on your baby often, including at night, but in their usual cot on a flat mattress, not in a car seat or on your pillow.
What should you not give a newborn with a runny nose?
- Decongestant drops without a doctor's advice. The NHS says decongestant drops, sprays and tablets are not for children under 6. In Poland oxymetazoline 0.01% drops are licensed for infants, from 3 months according to the drug description on Medycyna Praktyczna, and a Medycyna Praktyczna expert says they should not be used for more than 3-5 days. Only give them to a newborn if a doctor recommends it, and never use drops meant for older children or adults.
- Cough and cold syrups or powders. The AAP advises against over-the-counter cough and cold medicines for children under 4, because some ingredients can dangerously slow breathing. The NHS puts the limit at 6 years unless a doctor or pharmacist advises otherwise.
- Rubs and oils with menthol, camphor or eucalyptus. The AAP says menthol rubs must not be used on children under 2, and camphor can be toxic when absorbed through a baby's skin. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) points out that these substances can cause convulsions in young children. The sources do not fully agree, because the NHS allows vapour rubs for small children on a pharmacist's advice, but with a newborn it is better to avoid them.
- Steam from a bowl of hot water. The NHS advises against it for children because of the risk of scalding.
- Honey before the age of 1. The NHS and the AAP warn that it can cause infant botulism.
- Aspirin. The NHS does not recommend it for anyone under 16.
Always agree fever medicines for a newborn with a doctor. The NHS gives children's paracetamol from 2 months and ibuprofen from 3 months, while the AAP gives ibuprofen only from 6 months. For a baby under 12 weeks with a fever, the AAP advises not giving any medicine before a doctor has seen them, so that symptoms are not masked.
What is RSV and why is it dangerous for babies?
RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) is, according to PZH (the Polish National Institute of Public Health), the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children under 1. The World Health Organization (WHO) says almost every child has had RSV by their second birthday, and babies under 6 months are most at risk of severe illness. In Poland in 2024 PZH recorded 41,631 cases, 19,080 of them in children under 2.
In an older child or an adult RSV is usually a cold. In a young baby the virus can reach the smallest airways (bronchioles), which swell and fill with mucus. PZH says age is the main risk factor for severe illness, and being born during or just before the RSV season also raises the risk. It is hard to predict which baby will become seriously ill. There is no antiviral medicine, and hospital treatment consists of oxygen and fluids.
According to PZH the RSV season in Poland usually runs from October or November to April or May. The virus spreads through droplets and touch. Medycyna Praktyczna says it can survive for several hours on skin and objects, people without symptoms can pass it on, and symptoms appear 2-8 days after infection. The UK NICE guideline lists risk factors for more severe illness:
- age under 3 months
- premature birth, especially before 32 weeks of pregnancy
- chronic lung disease, including bronchopulmonary dysplasia
- haemodynamically significant congenital heart disease
- neuromuscular disorders and immunodeficiency
RSV in babies: what are the symptoms?
The NHS describes bronchiolitis as starting like a cold: sneezing, a runny or blocked nose and a slightly raised temperature. After 1-3 days these may follow:
- a cough
- faster breathing
- trouble feeding, the baby comes off the breast or bottle quickly
- noisy breathing with wheezing or crackling
- irritability
According to NICE, symptoms are usually worst between days 3 and 5, and the cough clears within 3 weeks in 90% of babies. Fever occurs in around 30% of cases and is usually below 39 °C, so the absence of a fever does not rule out bronchiolitis. NICE also warns that in the youngest babies, especially under 6 weeks, the first sign may be apnoea, meaning pauses in breathing, without other clear signs.
You cannot tell RSV from other viruses at home by symptoms alone. Whether your baby needs to be seen depends on how they breathe, feed and behave, not on the name of the virus.
Baby with a runny nose: when to call 112 and when to see a doctor?
The table brings together warning signs from the NHS and the NICE guidelines. In Poland, on working days call your POZ (primary care) clinic, and in the evening, at night and at weekends use the out-of-hours service (nocna i świąteczna opieka zdrowotna). The free NFZ Patient Information Line on 800 190 590 can tell you where the nearest one is.
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| Baby is struggling to breathe: grunting with each breath out, skin sucking in under the ribs, nostrils flaring, very fast breathing | Call 112 |
| Pauses in breathing | Call 112 |
| Blue or grey skin, tongue or lips | Call 112 |
| Baby is floppy, will not wake or does not stay awake | Call 112 |
| Feeding much less than usual (NICE: half to three quarters of the usual amount) or no wet nappy for 12 hours | Doctor the same day |
| Temperature of 38 °C or higher under 3 months, 39 °C or higher at 3-6 months | Doctor the same day |
| The cold is getting worse, baby is very tired, irritable, "not themselves", or you are simply worried | Doctor the same day |
| Runny nose without fever, baby feeds, has wet nappies and breathes calmly | Care at home, keep watching, contact your midwife or POZ if in doubt |
NICE gives more than 70 breaths a minute as a sign of severe breathing difficulty, and above 60 it recommends considering referral to hospital. You can count your baby's breaths for a full minute while they are calm and give the number to the doctor or dispatcher. The NHS reminds parents not to drive a seriously ill baby to hospital themselves but to call for help.
Fever in a newborn: at what temperature should you see a doctor?
According to the NICE guidelines, a baby under 3 months with a temperature of 38 °C or higher is in a high-risk group for serious illness, and a baby aged 3-6 months with 39 °C or higher is in at least an intermediate-risk group. Medycyna Praktyczna says every newborn and baby under 3 months with a fever should be seen by a doctor, and at 3-6 months a consultation is needed when the rectal temperature is above 38.5 °C.
The sources also differ on how to measure. NICE recommends an electronic thermometer under the arm for babies under 4 weeks, while the AAP considers a rectal reading the most accurate in babies under 3 months. What matters is always using the same thermometer and telling the doctor where you measured. NICE advises against tepid sponging and against over-wrapping or underdressing a baby with a fever.
NICE notes that some vaccinations can cause a fever in babies under 3 months. Even then, with a temperature of 38 °C or more, call a doctor and say when your baby was vaccinated.
How do you protect a newborn from RSV and colds?
- Wash your hands before touching your baby and ask visitors to do the same. Medycyna Praktyczna names hand washing as the basis of protection against RSV.
- A family member who is ill should wear a mask while feeding and caring for the baby, as Medycyna Praktyczna advises. How to breastfeed when you have a cold yourself is covered in a separate article.
- Keep your baby away from ill family members as far as you can, as Medycyna Praktyczna advises, and postpone visits from people with a cold or cough.
- Avoid crowded places during the infection season, which Medycyna Praktyczna also recommends. A walk in the fresh air is a different matter, and we write about walks in autumn and winter in a separate article.
- Air your home and do not smoke around your baby.
- Breastfeed if you can. Medycyna Praktyczna lists breastfeeding among the ways of protecting against RSV.
Nirsevimab (Beyfortus) and the Abrysvo vaccine: are they free in Poland in the 2026/2027 season?
A baby can be protected against RSV in two ways: by vaccinating the mother in pregnancy or by giving the baby a monoclonal antibody. WHO recommends that every country protect babies against severe RSV, choosing one of these methods. According to PZH (as of 21 September 2026), the Abrysvo vaccine is free for pregnant women with a prescription. The leaflet allows it between 24 and 36 weeks of pregnancy, and medical societies recommend 32-36 weeks as optimal. The antibodies cross the placenta and protect the baby until about 6 months of age. We cover the details in the article on vaccinations in pregnancy.
Nirsevimab (brand name Beyfortus) is a long-acting antibody given to the baby in a single injection. PZH says antibody protection is recommended for babies in their first RSV season, with priority for babies in risk groups and under 6 months. A baby born in September or later should ideally get it before leaving the maternity ward, and older babies from a paediatrician. Vaccinating the mother in pregnancy does not exclude the baby from this protection.
As of 31 October 2026, free antibody protection does not cover all newborns. The B.40 drug programme funds only selected risk groups, including some premature babies. On 31 July 2026 the president of AOTMiT (the Polish Agency for Health Technology Assessment) issued two recommendations (no. 111/2026 and 112/2026) in favour of funding nirsevimab for babies in their first RSV season, on condition that the price is lowered. The final decision lies with the Minister of Health. The latest list of reimbursed medicines, in force from 1 October 2026, does not include nirsevimab, and we have not found any other decision. This may change during the season, so before leaving hospital ask the neonatologist, and later the paediatrician, whether your baby qualifies for free protection.
How can a midwife help when a newborn has a runny nose?
During postnatal home visits (wizyty patronażowe), a POZ midwife can show you how to put in saline drops and suction mucus safely, check whether your baby is feeding effectively, check weight gain and the number of wet nappies and go over the safe sleep rules. She can also help you judge whether the symptoms need a doctor. A midwife does not replace a doctor when a newborn has a fever or is struggling to breathe.
If you would rather not go out with a poorly baby, on MyMidwife you will find midwives who make home visits or consult online. In the situations in the "Call 112" column, do not wait for any visit.
