A liveborn male triplet born in a hospital by cesarean section would be reported with which ICD-10-CM code?

A liveborn male triplet born in a hospital by cesarean section would be reported with which ICD-10-CM code?

• A. Z38.62
• B. Z38.61
• C. Z38.63
• D. Z38.60

Answer: (A)

The key idea is how ICD-10-CM codes for newborns capture place of birth, multiplicity, and sex. Z38 codes are used for liveborn infants by where they were born and how many there are. For multiple births, the 0.6x range specifically encodes the birth as a multiple (triplet, in this case), and the final digit indicates the infant’s sex. Therefore, a liveborn male triplet born in a hospital corresponds to the code that ends with the male indicator in the triplet category, which is Z38.62. The method of delivery (cesarean section) isn’t added to the newborn’s Z38 code; that detail would be captured in maternal/ obstetric delivery coding. The other options would represent different sex, different multiplicity, or a different birth setting, so they don’t fit this scenario.

The key idea is how ICD-10-CM codes for newborns capture place of birth, multiplicity, and sex. Z38 codes are used for liveborn infants by where they were born and how many there are. For multiple births, the 0.6x range specifically encodes the birth as a multiple (triplet, in this case), and the final digit indicates the infant’s sex. Therefore, a liveborn male triplet born in a hospital corresponds to the code that ends with the male indicator in the triplet category, which is Z38.62. The method of delivery (cesarean section) isn’t added to the newborn’s Z38 code; that detail would be captured in maternal/ obstetric delivery coding. The other options would represent different sex, different multiplicity, or a different birth setting, so they don’t fit this scenario.