What is the ICD-10 code for poor weight gain?

The ICD-10 code for poor weight gain in children under 5 is R62.51, while R63.5 is used for unexplained weight gain without a specific cause.

How do you document failure to thrive?

Document failure to thrive by including specific growth metrics, nutritional assessments, and psychosocial factors impacting growth.

ICD-10 Coding for Poor Weight Gain(R62.51, E44.0, E44.1)

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Learn about ICD-10 coding for poor weight gain, including documentation requirements and common pitfalls. Understand how to code conditions like failure to thrive and severe malnutrition.

Also known as:

Failure to ThriveFTTWeight Loss

Related ICD-10 Code Ranges

Complete code families applicable to Poor Weight Gain

R00-R99Primary Range

Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified

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Code Comparison: When to Use Each Code

Compare key differences between these codes to ensure accurate selection

Code	Description	When to Use	Key Documentation
R62.51	Failure to thrive (child)	Use for children under 5 years with documented failure to thrive.	Growth parameters below the 3rd percentile Crossing two major growth percentiles downward
R63.5	Abnormal weight gain	Use when weight gain is present without a specific underlying condition.	Weight gain without identifiable cause Exclusion of other conditions like obesity
E43	Unspecified severe protein-calorie malnutrition	Use when severe malnutrition is documented with specific clinical findings.	BMI <18.5 Significant weight loss >20%

Primary ICD-10-CM Codes

Failure to thrive (child)

R62.51Billable

Differential Codes

Alternative codes to consider when ruling out similar conditions

Failure to thrive (older child)R62.52

Use for children 5 years and older with similar growth issues.

Obesity, unspecifiedE66.9

Use when obesity is the primary diagnosis.

Moderate protein-calorie malnutritionE44.0

Use when malnutrition is moderate, not severe.

Documentation & Coding Risks

Avoid these common issues when documenting Poor Weight Gain.

Vague documentation of weight issues

Impact

Clinical: May lead to misdiagnosis, Regulatory: Non-compliance with documentation standards, Financial: Potential for denied claims

Mitigation

Use specific growth metrics, Include detailed nutritional assessments

Using R63.5 when an underlying condition is present

Impact

Reimbursement: May lead to incorrect DRG assignment, Compliance: Non-compliance with coding guidelines, Data Quality: Inaccurate clinical data representation

Mitigation

Identify and code the underlying condition first.

Growth chart documentation

Impact

Lack of detailed growth metrics can trigger audits.

Mitigation

Ensure all growth data is accurately documented and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

Documentation requirements, coding pitfalls and FAQs for conditions coded with R62.51.

Primary Code

R62.51

Failure to thrive (child)

Quick Navigation

ICD-10 codes9

Coding risks3

FAQs2

ICD-10 Coding for Poor Weight Gain(R62.51, E44.0, E44.1)

Documentation & Coding Risks

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ICD-10 code for poor weight gain?

How do you document failure to thrive?

Related condition guides