False labor (O47)
The O47 ICD-10 code series identifies cases of false labor, where contractions or signs suggest labor onset but true labor has not begun. These codes differentiate false labor by timing during pregnancy and specificity.
The ICD-10 code for false labor distinguishes between episodes before and after 37 completed weeks of gestation. For example, O47.0 codes false labor before 37 weeks, subdivided by trimester, while O47.1 represents false labor at or after 37 weeks. The O47.9 code covers unspecified cases and includes synonyms like Braxton Hicks contractions and obstetric pain, terms often used for irregular uterine contractions that mimic labor. Including these synonyms helps coders and health professionals connect everyday clinical terms to the official ICD-10 codes. Understanding these distinctions is essential for proper documentation and classification of pregnancies when contractions occur but do not indicate imminent delivery.
Pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)
Maternal care related to the fetus and amniotic cavity and possible delivery problems (O30-O48)
O47 False labor
O47.0 False labor before 37 completed weeks of gestation
- O47.00 False labor before 37 completed weeks of gestation, unspecified trimester
- O47.02 False labor before 37 completed weeks of gestation, second trimester
- O47.03 False labor before 37 completed weeks of gestation, third trimester
- O47.1 False labor at or after 37 completed weeks of gestation
- O47.9 False labor, unspecified
False labor (O47)
Instructional Notations
Includes
This note appears immediately under a three character code title to further define, or give examples of, the content of the category.
- Braxton Hicks contractions
- threatened labor
Type 1 Excludes
A type 1 excludes note is a pure excludes note. It means "NOT CODED HERE!" An Excludes1 note indicates that the code excluded should never be used at the same time as the code above the Excludes1 note. An Excludes1 is used when two conditions cannot occur together, such as a congenital form versus an acquired form of the same condition.
- preterm labor O60
