2024 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code Z38.01

Single liveborn infant, delivered by cesarean

ICD-10-CM Code:
Z38.01
ICD-10 Code for:
Single liveborn infant, delivered by cesarean
Is Billable?
Yes - Valid for Submission
Code Navigator:

Code Classification

  • Factors influencing health status and contact with health services
    (Z00–Z99)
    • Persons encountering health services in circumstances related to reproduction
      (Z30-Z39)
      • Liveborn infants according to place of birth and type of delivery
        (Z38)

Z38.01 is a billable diagnosis code used to specify a medical diagnosis of single liveborn infant, delivered by cesarean. The code is valid during the current fiscal year for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions from October 01, 2023 through September 30, 2024. The code is exempt from present on admission (POA) reporting for inpatient admissions to general acute care hospitals.

The code Z38.01 is applicable to newborn patients only. It is clinically and virtually impossible to use this code on a non-newborn patient.

Approximate Synonyms

The following clinical terms are approximate synonyms or lay terms that might be used to identify the correct diagnosis code:

  • Born by cesarean section
  • Born by elective cesarean section
  • Born by emergency cesarean section
  • Liveborn born in hospital
  • Liveborn born in hospital
  • Liveborn born in hospital by cesarean section
  • Single liveborn born in hospital by cesarean section

Clinical Classification

Index to Diseases and Injuries References

The following annotation back-references for this diagnosis code are found in the injuries and diseases index. The Index to Diseases and Injuries is an alphabetical listing of medical terms, with each term mapped to one or more ICD-10-CM code(s).

Code Edits

The Medicare Code Editor (MCE) detects and reports errors in the coding of claims data. The following ICD-10-CM Code Edits are applicable to this code:

  • Perinatal / Newborn diagnoses - The Medicare Code Editor detects inconsistencies in perinatal / newborn cases by checking a patient's age and any diagnosis on the patient's record. The newborn code edits apply to patients age 0 years only; a subset of diagnoses which will only occur during the perinatal or newborn period of age 0 (e.g., tetanus neonatorum, health examination for newborn under 8 days old).

Present on Admission (POA)

Z38.01 is exempt from POA reporting - The Present on Admission (POA) indicator is used for diagnosis codes included in claims involving inpatient admissions to general acute care hospitals. POA indicators must be reported to CMS on each claim to facilitate the grouping of diagnoses codes into the proper Diagnostic Related Groups (DRG). CMS publishes a listing of specific diagnosis codes that are exempt from the POA reporting requirement. Review other POA exempt codes here.

CMS POA Indicator Options and Definitions

POA IndicatorReason for CodeCMS will pay the CC/MCC DRG?
YDiagnosis was present at time of inpatient admission.YES
NDiagnosis was not present at time of inpatient admission.NO
UDocumentation insufficient to determine if the condition was present at the time of inpatient admission.NO
WClinically undetermined - unable to clinically determine whether the condition was present at the time of inpatient admission.YES
1Unreported/Not used - Exempt from POA reporting. NO

Convert Z38.01 to ICD-9-CM

  • ICD-9-CM Code: V30.01 - Single lb in-hosp w cs
    Approximate Flag - The approximate mapping means there is not an exact match between the ICD-10 and ICD-9 codes and the mapped code is not a precise representation of the original code.

Patient Education


Cesarean Delivery

What is a cesarean delivery?

A cesarean delivery, also called a cesarean section or c-section, is surgery to deliver a baby. The baby is taken out through your abdomen (belly). In the United States, almost one in three babies are born this way. Some cesarean deliveries are planned. Others are emergency cesarean deliveries, which are done when unexpected problems happen during delivery.

When is a cesarean delivery needed?

You may need a cesarean delivery because:

  • You have health problems, including infection
  • You are carrying more than one baby
  • Your baby is too big
  • Your baby is in the wrong position
  • Your baby's health is in danger
  • Labor is not moving along as it should
  • There are problems with your placenta (the organ that brings oxygen and nutrients to your baby)

Not everyone who has had a cesarean delivery before will need another one next time. You may be able to have a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC). Talk to your health care provider about what is right for you.

How is a cesarean delivery done?

Before the surgery, you will be given pain medicine. Depending on your circumstances, you might get:

  • An epidural block, which numbs the lower part of the body through an injection in the spine.
  • A spinal block, which numbs the lower part of the body through an injection directly into the spinal fluid.
  • General anesthesia, which makes you unconscious during the surgery. This is often used during emergency cesarean deliveries.

During the surgery, the surgeon will:

  • Make a cut in your abdomen and uterus. The cut is usually horizontal, but in some cases it may be vertical.
  • Open the amniotic sac and take out your baby.
  • Cut the umbilical cord and the placenta.
  • Close the uterus and abdomen with stitches that will later dissolve.

What are the risks of a cesarean delivery?

A cesarean delivery is relatively safe for you and your baby. But it is still a major surgery, and it carries risks. They may include:

  • Infection
  • Blood loss
  • Blood clots in the legs, pelvic organs, or lungs
  • Injury to surrounding structures, such as the bowel or bladder
  • A reaction to the medicines or anesthesia used

Some of these risks do also apply to a vaginal birth. But it does take longer to recover from a cesarean delivery than from a vaginal birth. And having a cesarean delivery can raise the risk of having difficulties with future pregnancies. The more cesarean deliveries you have, the more the risk goes up.

NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development


[Learn More in MedlinePlus]

Code History

  • FY 2024 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2023 through 9/30/2024
  • FY 2023 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2022 through 9/30/2023
  • FY 2022 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2021 through 9/30/2022
  • FY 2021 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2020 through 9/30/2021
  • FY 2020 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2019 through 9/30/2020
  • FY 2019 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2018 through 9/30/2019
  • FY 2018 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2017 through 9/30/2018
  • FY 2017 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2016 through 9/30/2017
  • FY 2016 - New Code, effective from 10/1/2015 through 9/30/2016. This was the first year ICD-10-CM was implemented into the HIPAA code set.