2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code F72
Severe intellectual disabilities
- ICD-10-CM Code:
- F72
- ICD-10 Code for:
- Severe intellectual disabilities
- Is Billable?
- Yes - Valid for Submission
- Chronic Condition Indicator: [1]
- Chronic
- Code Navigator:
F72 is a billable diagnosis code used to specify a medical diagnosis of severe intellectual disabilities. The code is valid during the current fiscal year for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions from October 01, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
Approximate Synonyms
The following list of clinical terms are approximate synonyms, alternative descriptions, or common phrases that might be used by patients, healthcare providers, or medical coders to describe the same condition. These synonyms and related diagnosis terms are often used when searching for an ICD-10 code, especially when the exact medical terminology is unclear. Whether you're looking for lay terms, similar diagnosis names, or common language alternatives, this list can help guide you to the correct ICD-10 classification.
- Congenital insensitivity to pain with severe intellectual disability
- Congenital retrognathism
- Craniosynostosis, microretrognathia, severe intellectual disability syndrome
- Diplegia
- Recession of bone
- Severe intellectual disability
- Severe intellectual disability and progressive spastic paraplegia
- Severe intellectual disability, poor language, strabismus, grimacing face, long fingers syndrome
- Severe intellectual disability, progressive postnatal microcephaly, midline stereotypic hand movements syndrome
- Severe intellectual disability, progressive spastic diplegia syndrome
- Severe intellectual disability, short stature, behavioral abnormalities, facial dysmorphism syndrome
- Severe motor and intellectual disabilities, sensorineural deafness, dystonia syndrome
- Spastic diplegia
- Spastic paralysis
Clinical Classification
Clinical Classifications group individual ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes into broader, clinically meaningful categories. These categories help simplify complex data by organizing related conditions under common clinical themes.
They are especially useful for data analysis, reporting, and clinical decision-making. Even when diagnosis codes differ, similar conditions can be grouped together based on their clinical relevance. Each category is assigned a unique CCSR code that represents a specific clinical concept, often tied to a body system or medical specialty.
Neurodevelopmental disorders
CCSR Code: MBD014
Inpatient Default: Y - Yes, default inpatient assignment for principal diagnosis or first-listed diagnosis.
Outpatient Default: Y - Yes, default outpatient assignment for principal diagnosis or first-listed diagnosis.
Clinical Information
Brachial Amyotrophic Diplegia|BAD|FAS|Flail Arm Syndrome|MIBS|Man-in-barrel Syndrome
a neurodegenerative condition characterized by asymmetric weakness in the upper extremities resulting from segmental lower motor neuron dysfunction.Diplegia
paralysis affecting corresponding parts on both sides of the body.Diplegia of Upper Limbs|Diplegia of upper limbs
evidence of diplegia of the upper limbs.Neurodevelopmental Disorder with Spastic Diplegia and Visual Defects|MRD19|Mental Retardation, Autosomal Dominant 19|NEDSDV
an autosomal dominant condition caused by mutation(s) in the ctnnb1 gene, encoding catenin beta-1. it is characterized by severe intellectual disability, progressive spastic diplegia, visual impairment, and dysmorphic craniofacial features.Quadriplegia|Bilateral Diplegia|Bilateral Diplegia|Quadriplegia, unspecified|Tetraplegia
paralysis of all four limbs.Spastic Diplegia|Little's Disease|Spastic diplegic cerebral palsy
a type of cerebral palsy characterized by spasticity and hypertonia of the lower extremities bilaterally, particularly the legs, hips, and pelvis; this is the most common (70%) form of cerebral palsy.
Tabular List of Diseases and Injuries
The following annotation back-references are applicable to this diagnosis code. The Tabular List of Diseases and Injuries is a list of ICD-10-CM codes, organized "head to toe" into chapters and sections with coding notes and guidance for inclusions, exclusions, descriptions and more.
Inclusion Terms
Inclusion TermsThese terms are the conditions for which that code is to be used. The terms may be synonyms of the code title, or, in the case of "other specified" codes, the terms are a list of the various conditions assigned to that code. The inclusion terms are not necessarily exhaustive. Additional terms found only in the Alphabetic Index may also be assigned to a code.
- IQ 20-25 to 35-40
- Severe mental subnormality
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).
- intellectual - F79
- severe (I.Q.20-34) - F72
Index of External Cause of Injuries
References found for this diagnosis code in the External Cause of Injuries Index:
- Disability, disabilities
- intellectual
- severe (I.Q.20-34)
- I.Q.
- 20-34
Convert F72 to ICD-9-CM
Below are the ICD-9 codes that most closely match this ICD-10 code, based on the General Equivalence Mappings (GEMs). This ICD-10 to ICD-9 crosswalk tool is helpful for coders who need to reference legacy diagnosis codes for audits, historical claims, or approximate code comparisons.
Sev intellect disability
ICD-9-CM: 318.1
This is a direct match with no additional mapping qualifiers. The absence of a flag generally means the mapping is considered exact or precise. In other words, the ICD-10 code maps cleanly to the ICD-9 code without qualification, approximation, or needing multiple codes.
Patient Education
Developmental Disabilities
What are developmental disabilities?
Developmental disabilities are conditions that are usually present at birth. They can affect a child's growth and development. These conditions can cause physical, learning, language, or behavior issues. They can include:
- Learning disabilities. These conditions affect the ability to learn.
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This is a disorder that affects behavior, communication, and social skills.
- Cerebral palsy (CP). This is a condition that affects movement, coordination, and balance.
- Physical disabilities. These could include blindness or deafness.
- Conditions that can affect both physical and mental abilities. This could include Down syndrome.
These conditions can cause lifelong challenges in learning. Completing daily tasks may be difficult. Early treatment may help your child learn important skills and make the most of their strengths.
What causes developmental disabilities?
Developmental disabilities are often present at birth. They can occur due to various reasons. These can include:
- Genetic or chromosome abnormalities. These cause conditions such as Down syndrome, Fragile-X-Syndrome, and Rett syndrome.
- Use of substances while pregnant. For example, drinking alcohol when pregnant can cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
- Certain infections during pregnancy.
- Preterm birth or low birth weight.
How are developmental disabilities diagnosed?
The way a developmental disability is diagnosed depends on the condition. Screening tests or a physical exam may be done to check for a medical problem. Other tests and questionnaires may help find out if your child has a developmental disability. These may include:
- Screening tests that are done during pregnancy or for newborns
- Developmental and behavioral screening tests or questionnaires to check if your child is developing on schedule
- Observing your child's behavior and how they interact with other people
- Testing your child's intellectual and school performance
- Asking about your family history
What are the treatments for developmental disabilities?
If your child has a developmental disability, these are usually lifelong conditions. Often, there is no cure, but treatment can help the symptoms. Treatments can include:
- Physical, speech, and occupational therapy
- Special teaching methods
- Psychological counseling
- To keep track of how your child grows and changes over time
NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
[Learn More in MedlinePlus]
Code History
- FY 2026 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2025 through 9/30/2026
- FY 2025 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2024 through 9/30/2025
- 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.
Footnotes
[1] Chronic - a chronic condition code indicates a condition lasting 12 months or longer and its effect on the patient based on one or both of the following criteria:
- The condition results in the need for ongoing intervention with medical products,treatment, services, and special equipment
- The condition places limitations on self-care, independent living, and social interactions.