ICD-9 Code 655.01

Central nervous system malformation in fetus, delivered, with or without mention of antepartum condition

Not Valid for Submission

655.01 is a legacy non-billable code used to specify a medical diagnosis of central nervous system malformation in fetus, delivered, with or without mention of antepartum condition. This code was replaced on September 30, 2015 by its ICD-10 equivalent.

ICD-9: 655.01
Short Description:Fetal cns malform-deliv
Long Description:Central nervous system malformation in fetus, delivered, with or without mention of antepartum condition

Convert 655.01 to ICD-10

The following crosswalk between ICD-9 to ICD-10 is based based on the General Equivalence Mappings (GEMS) information:

  • O35.0XX0 - Maternal care for (suspected) cnsl malform in fetus, unsp

Code Classification

  • Complications of pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium (630–679)
    • Normal delivery, and other indications for care in pregnancy, labor, and delivery (650-659)
      • 655 Known or suspected fetal abnormality affecting management of mother

Information for Medical Professionals

Code Edits

The Medicare Code Editor (MCE) detects and reports errors in the coding of claims data. The following ICD-9 Code Edits are applicable to this code:

Information for Patients


Brain Malformations

Most brain malformations begin long before a baby is born. Something damages the developing nervous system or causes it to develop abnormally. Sometimes it's a genetic problem. In other cases, exposure to certain medicines, infections, or radiation during pregnancy interferes with brain development. Parts of the brain may be missing, abnormally small or large, or not fully developed.

Treatment depends upon the problem. In many cases, treatment only helps with symptoms. It may include antiseizure medicines, shunts to drain fluid from the brain, and physical therapy.

There are head malformations that do not involve the brain. Craniofacial disorders are the result of abnormal growth of soft tissue and bones in the face and head. It's common for new babies to have slightly uneven heads, but parents should watch the shape of their baby's head for possible problems.

NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke


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Neural Tube Defects

Neural tube defects are birth defects of the brain, spine, or spinal cord. They happen in the first month of pregnancy, often before a woman even knows that she is pregnant. The two most common neural tube defects are spina bifida and anencephaly. In spina bifida, the fetal spinal column doesn't close completely. There is usually nerve damage that causes at least some paralysis of the legs. In anencephaly, most of the brain and skull do not develop. Babies with anencephaly are usually either stillborn or die shortly after birth. Another type of defect, Chiari malformation, causes the brain tissue to extend into the spinal canal.

The exact causes of neural tube defects aren't known. You're at greater risk of having an infant with a neural tube defect if you:

  • Have obesity
  • Have poorly controlled diabetes
  • Take certain antiseizure medicines

Getting enough folic acid, a type of B vitamin, before and during pregnancy prevents most neural tube defects.

Neural tube defects are usually diagnosed before the infant is born, through lab or imaging tests. There is no cure for neural tube defects. The nerve damage and loss of function that are present at birth are usually permanent. However, a variety of treatments can sometimes prevent further damage and help with complications.

NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development


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ICD-9 Footnotes

General Equivalence Map Definitions
The ICD-9 and ICD-10 GEMs are used to facilitate linking between the diagnosis codes in ICD-9-CM and the new ICD-10-CM code set. The GEMs are the raw material from which providers, health information vendors and payers can derive specific applied mappings to meet their needs.

  • Approximate Flag - The approximate flag is on, indicating that the relationship between the code in the source system and the code in the target system is an approximate equivalent.
  • No Map Flag - The no map flag indicates that a code in the source system is not linked to any code in the target system.
  • Combination Flag - The combination flag indicates that more than one code in the target system is required to satisfy the full equivalent meaning of a code in the source system.