2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code O77.9Labor and delivery complicated by fetal stress, unspecified

ICD-10-CM Codes›O00-O9A›O60-O77›O77

ICD-10-CM O77.9
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

O77.9 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for labor and delivery complicated by fetal stress, unspecified. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026). The code is restricted by the Medicare Code Editor to maternity cases (age 9 through 64). Coders also document this condition as fetal distress - in labor. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Malposition, disproportion or other labor complications.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
O77.9
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Labor and delivery complicated by fetal stress, unspecified
Short Description
Labor and delivery complicated by fetal stress, unspecified
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
O77
Other fetal stress complicating labor and delivery

Code Classification

ChapterO00-O9APregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium
SectionO60-O77Complications of labor and delivery
CategoryO77Other fetal stress complicating labor and delivery
This CodeO77.9Labor and delivery complicated by fetal stress, unspecified

Code EditsBilling

Medicare Code Editor checks that affect claim validity for O77.9.

Maternity diagnoses
The Medicare Code Editor detects inconsistencies in maternity cases by checking a patient's age and any diagnosis on the patient's record. The maternity code edits apply to patients age ange is 9–64 years inclusive (e.g., diabetes in pregnancy, antepartum pulmonary complication).

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Fetal distress - in labor

Tabular List NotesGuidance

Coding notes and annotation back-references applicable to this code.

Type 1 Excludes

  • abnormality of fetal acid-base balance O68
  • abnormality in fetal heart rate or rhythm O76
  • fetal metabolic acidemia O68

Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance

Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.

External Cause of Injuries IndexGuidance

References for this code in the External Cause of Injuries Index.

    • Delivery(childbirth) (labor)
      • complicated
        • by
          • fetal
            • stress
    • Stress
      • fetal
        • complicating pregnancy

Clinical ClassificationClinical

AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.

CCSR PRG024
Malposition, disproportion or other labor complications
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Patient EducationClinical

Childbirth Problems

Childbirth is the process of giving birth to a baby. It includes labor and delivery. Usually everything goes well, but problems can happen. They may cause a risk to the mother, baby, or both. Some of the more common childbirth problems include:

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Convert O77.9 to ICD-9-CMHistory

The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.

ICD-9-CM
656.81 Fet/plac prob NEC-deliv
Approximate The match is approximate rather than exact.

Code HistoryHistory

FY 2016AddedAdded to the ICD-10-CM code setEffective October 1, 2015, the first year of ICD-10-CM.
FY 2017–2025No changes
FY 2026CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

Questions About O77.9Overview

Is O77.9 (Other fetal stress complicating labor and delivery) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report labor and delivery complicated by fetal stress, unspecified on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

Who can O77.9 be reported for?

The Medicare Code Editor checks labor and delivery complicated by fetal stress, unspecified against patient demographics: this code is intended for maternity cases (age 9 through 64). Claims outside these limits are flagged as inconsistent.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of O77.9?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, labor and delivery complicated by fetal stress, unspecified converts to ICD-9-CM 656.81 (fet/plac prob NEC-deliv). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.

Footnotes

[1] Not chronic - A diagnosis code that does not fit the criteria for chronic condition (duration, ongoing medical treatment, and limitations) is considered not chronic. Some codes designated as not chronic are acute conditions. Other diagnosis codes that indicate a possible chronic condition, but for which the duration of the illness is not specified in the code description (i.e., we do not know the condition has lasted 12 months or longer) also are considered not chronic.