A three-week-old baby died 12 hours after being diagnosed with a cold at an NHS walk-in centre, an inquest heard yesterday. The parents of Shelby Whitrow were given nasal drops to help her breathe, but she was found lifeless in her bed at 7am the next day.

She was rushed to Bristol Royal hospital for children but was pronounced dead 30 minutes after arriving. A postmortem was unable to pinpoint the exact cause of death but experts suspect it was a respiratory virus.

Shelby's parents had taken her to Dr Sheila Pieterson at the walk-in centre in Knowle, Bristol. Shelby's mother Kelly told the inquest at Flax Bourton near Bristol: "We were refused a home visit twice and when we went to the walk-in centre, Dr Pieterson wasn't listening to us. She said Shelby was suffering from a cold and would be OK in 10 to 14 days."

The following day her parents found Shelby in a pool of blood and mucus which had soaked her bedsheets at their home in Withywood, Bristol. They dialled 999 and tried to resuscitate her. Paramedics also battled to revive her on the journey to hospital.

Pathologist Dr Peter Cox was unable to record a cause of death but said Shelby had most likely died from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) which causes the lungs to fill with blood and mucus, but is not usually life-threatening. Dr Cox, who is also a child paediatrician, added: "Shelby's death is an extremely rare result of RSV and was completely unpredictable."

Dr Pieterson told the inquest that she had fully examined the baby. "I am aware of RSV but did not think that this baby was suffering from this virus," she said.

Dr Maria Bredon, a paediatrician at the Bristol Royal hospital for children, added: "We have tried to conclude if she did die of RSV from the different literatures available. It is extremely rare but it has happened in the past."

The inquest hearing is due to conclude today.