Mental and behavioral disorders associated with the puerperium, not elsewhere classified (F53)

The ICD-10 code F53 category covers mental and behavioral disorders that occur during the puerperium, the period following childbirth, when other causes are not specified. This includes important conditions such as postpartum depression (F53.0) and puerperal psychosis (F53.1).

These codes are used to document and code mental health complications uniquely linked to the postpartum period. For example, the ICD-10 code for postpartum depression (F53.0) applies to depressive conditions arising after childbirth and may be referred to by several synonyms including postpartum mood disorder, major depressive disorder with postpartum onset, or mild to severe postnatal depression. Meanwhile, puerperal psychosis (F53.1) covers acute psychiatric episodes like postpartum psychosis and related terms such as mild or severe postnatal psychosis and difficulty coping with postpartum changes. Understanding these specific terms helps clinicians and coders accurately identify and classify mental health disorders associated with childbirth.