8:00am Thursday 13th March 2008
By Cherry Thomas
A SIX-MONTH-OLD baby died of heart failure just hours after being seen by a nurse, an inquest heard.
Ali Hassan Hussain had been unwell for a number of days when he was taken to Royal Bolton Hospital by his parents Khavir Nadeem and Asma Nareen Khan on September 30 last year.
Doctors said he was suffering from a viral respiratory infection and he was sent back to the family home in Vermont Street, Halliwell.
Ali was checked by a GP and community nurse the next day and his condition had not deteriorated.
But shortly after 2pm on October 1 he collapsed and, despite attempts to save him, died at the Rotal Bolton Hospital.
Dr Arun Ramachandran, a specialist registrar paediatrics said: "He was clearly coping with what he had on the first occasion we saw him and I didnt see that the baby was ill enough to require a stay.
"I realised the mum and dad were quite concerned and would bring the baby back if there was a problem."
Carol Cheshire, a specialist practitioner with the Children's Community Nursing Services, visited the family the following day.
She told the inquest: "His condition was as it had been in hospital.
"I arranged to go back later that afternoon and said if he had not passed water by four or five o'clock that they should take him back to hospital."
Mr Khan took Ali out for a drive after the nurse visit. He said: "He was fine, he was smiling and taking water.
"I dropped him off at 2pm at home and he was alright. My wife rang me 15-20 minutes later to say something was wrong with him."
Ali had collapsed and was taken to hospital where doctors tried unsuccessfully to resusitate him.
Dr Mahesh Yadav, consultant paediatrican said: "Ali died probably due to a viral infection in his heart but when he was examined, as recently as 12pm by Nurse Cheshire, he wasn't demonstrating any symptoms.
"Unless there is evidence of symptoms we have no clue the heart is inflamed."
It is believed the infection, for which there were no symptoms, caused an irregular heartbeat which brought on heart failure."
Coroner Jennifer Leeming recorded a verdict of death by natural causes.
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