O68 Labor and delivery complicated by abnormality of fetal acid-base balance

Billable ICD-10-CM code, FY2026. Acts as a Complication or Comorbidity (CC) as a secondary diagnosis.

Applicable to

• Fetal acidemia complicating labor and delivery
• Fetal acidosis complicating labor and delivery
• Fetal alkalosis complicating labor and delivery
• Fetal metabolic acidemia complicating labor and delivery

Excludes1 (never code together)

• fetal stress NOS (O77.9)
• labor and delivery complicated by electrocardiographic evidence of fetal stress (O77.8)
• labor and delivery complicated by ultrasonic evidence of fetal stress (O77.8)

Excludes2 (not included here)

• abnormality in fetal heart rate or rhythm (O76)
• labor and delivery complicated by meconium in amniotic fluid (O77.0)

Applies from O68 Labor and delivery complicated by abnormality of fetal acid-base balance

Applicable to

• Fetal acidemia complicating labor and delivery
• Fetal acidosis complicating labor and delivery
• Fetal alkalosis complicating labor and delivery
• Fetal metabolic acidemia complicating labor and delivery

Excludes1 (never code together)

• fetal stress NOS (O77.9)
• labor and delivery complicated by electrocardiographic evidence of fetal stress (O77.8)
• labor and delivery complicated by ultrasonic evidence of fetal stress (O77.8)

Excludes2 (not included here)

• abnormality in fetal heart rate or rhythm (O76)
• labor and delivery complicated by meconium in amniotic fluid (O77.0)

MS-DRG index

Defines the logic of DRG(s) 998 in MDC 14.

Approximate ICD-9-CM (GEMs)

• 656.31 Fetal distress, affecting management of mother, delivered, with or without mention of antepartum condition (approximate)
• 656.81 Other specified fetal and placental problems, affecting management of mother, delivered, with or without mention of antepartum condition (approximate)

Medicare Code Edits (MCE v43.1 (April 2026))

• Maternity diagnoses (age 9 through 64): Age conflict edit. These diagnoses are clinically expected only in patients age 9 through 64.

Code annotations containing back-references to O68

Back-references to O68

• Type 2 Excludes: O76 Abnormality in fetal heart rate and rhythm complicating labor and delivery ("fetal metabolic acidemia (O68)")
• Type 1 Excludes: O77.8 Labor and delivery complicated by other evidence of fetal stress ("abnormality of fetal acid-base balance (O68)")
• Type 1 Excludes: O77.8 Labor and delivery complicated by other evidence of fetal stress ("fetal metabolic acidemia (O68)")
• Type 1 Excludes: O77.9 Labor and delivery complicated by fetal stress, unspecified ("abnormality of fetal acid-base balance (O68)")
• Type 1 Excludes: O77.9 Labor and delivery complicated by fetal stress, unspecified ("fetal metabolic acidemia (O68)")

Back-references to O68

• Type 2 Excludes: O76 Abnormality in fetal heart rate and rhythm complicating labor and delivery ("fetal metabolic acidemia (O68)")
• Type 1 Excludes: O77.8 Labor and delivery complicated by other evidence of fetal stress ("abnormality of fetal acid-base balance (O68)")
• Type 1 Excludes: O77.8 Labor and delivery complicated by other evidence of fetal stress ("fetal metabolic acidemia (O68)")
• Type 1 Excludes: O77.9 Labor and delivery complicated by fetal stress, unspecified ("abnormality of fetal acid-base balance (O68)")
• Type 1 Excludes: O77.9 Labor and delivery complicated by fetal stress, unspecified ("fetal metabolic acidemia (O68)")

Diagnosis Index entries for O68

• Delivery (childbirth) (labor) › complicated › by › fetal › abnormal acid-base balance
• Delivery (childbirth) (labor) › complicated › by › fetal › acidemia
• Delivery (childbirth) (labor) › complicated › by › fetal › acidosis
• Delivery (childbirth) (labor) › complicated › by › fetal › alkalosis
• Pregnancy (single) (uterine) › complicated by (care of) (management affected by) › fetal (maternal care for) › abnormality or damage › acid-base balance
• Pregnancy (single) (uterine) › complicated by (care of) (management affected by) › fetal (maternal care for) › acidemia
• Pregnancy (single) (uterine) › complicated by (care of) (management affected by) › fetal (maternal care for) › acidosis
• Pregnancy (single) (uterine) › complicated by (care of) (management affected by) › fetal (maternal care for) › alkalosis

Nearby codes

• O68 Labor and delivery complicated by abnormality of fetal acid-base balance (this code)