MYSTERY surrounds the death of a six-month-old baby who died days after being treated for common illnesses.

An inquest heard how Subhaan Ezaan Nadeem died despite being treated by two separate doctors for vomiting and diarrhoea. But 31-year-old mum Fazana Akhtar, of Higson Street, Blackburn, has been reassured by medical professionals that no-one could have predicted his apparently straightforward illness would prove fatal.

Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley coroner Michael Singleton said there were more questions than answers surrounding Subhaan's death.

Subhaan had seen his own GP and a hospital doctor in the week before he died after being rushed by ambulance to Blackburn Royal Infirmary. A third doctor told the inquest that the treatment had been correct given the boy's symptoms. That view was supported by paediatric pathologist Melanie Newbold, who said that despite extensive tests during the post-mortem examination she had been unable to ascertain a medical cause of death.

Subhaan's mother told how he had started vomiting and developed diarrhoea on Monday, April 19. She took him to see her GP, Dr K A Twumasi on the Wednesday and he diagnosed a viral infection as the most likely cause and prescribed sachets of rehydrant.

Mrs Akhtar said her son's condition did not improve and that night she took him to the primary care unit at Queen's Park Hospital where he was seen by Dr S Afzar. He gave the child some syrup to stop the vomiting and prescribed a different rehydrant.

Mrs Akhtar said the vomiting stopped but his general condition did not improve. In the early hours of Friday morning she was woken by the child's distressed crying and immediately sent for the ambulance. He was rushed to the accident and emergency unit at Blackburn Royal Infirmary but his condition continued to deteriorate and he eventually died.

Paediatrician Dr Chi-Ling Mo said strenuous efforts had been made to revive Subhaan but he was pronounced dead at 3.30 am. Dr Newbold said she was satisfied it was a natural death but was not able to give the medical cause.

Recording a verdict of natural causes, coroner Singleton said: "We can say it is likely he was suffering from a viral infection. As to why he didn't respond and why it should lead to his death are questions that unfortunately none of the experts have been able to answer."