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NCHS 71 Rankable Causes of Infant Death

In order to provide a consistent grouping and ranking standard, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) prepared a List of 130 Selected Causes of Infant Death. Seventy-one causes on that list were designated as eligible to be ranked as leading causes of infant death. For more information about the NCHS rankings see ICD-10 Cause-of-Death Lists for Tabulating Mortality Statistics on the NCHS website.

ICD-9 was used to code death causes from 1979 through 1998. ICD-9 codes and comparability ratios are included below for comparison to pre-1999 mortality data.

A full list of ICD codes is available at https://icd.who.int/browse10/2019/en.

Cause of Death

ICD-9 Codes

ICD-10 Codes

Comparability Ratio

Standard Error

Note

1 Diarrhea and gastroenteritis of infectious origin009A090.000.00
2 Tuberculosis010-018A16-A19****
3 Tetanus037, 771.3A33, A35****
4 Diphtheria032A36****
5 Whooping cough033A37****
6 Meningococcal infection036A390.96150.0377
7 Septicemia038A40-A411.38020.0713
8 Congenital syphilis090A50****
9 Gonococcal infection098A54****
10 Acute poliomyelitis045A80****Polio
11 Varicella052B01****Chickenpox
12 Measles055B05****
13 Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease042-044B20-B24****HIV/AIDS
14 Mumps072B26****
15 Candidiasis112B37****
16 Malaria084B50-B54****
17 Pneumocyctosis136.3B59****
18 Malignant neoplasms140-239C00-C971.01390.0420Cancer
19 In situ neoplasms, benign neoplasms and neoplasms of uncertain or unknown behavior210-239D00-D480.96150.1131
20 Diseases of the blood and blood-forming orgnas and certain disorders involving the immune mechanism135, 279-289D50-D890.70000.0803
21 Short stature, not elsewhere classified259.4E34.3****
22 Nutritional deficiencies260-269E40-E64****
23 Cystic fibrosis277.0E84****
24 Volume depletion, diorders of fluid, electrolyte and acid-base balance276E86-E870.75470.0852
25 Meningitis320-322G00, G031.00000.0404
26 Infantile spinal muscular atrophy, type I335.0G12.01.00000.0521Werdnig-Hoffman
27 Infantile cerebral palsy343G80****
28 Anoxic brain damage, not elsewhere classified348.1G93.10.96670.1269
29 Diseases of the ear and mastoid process380-389H60-H93****
30 Diseases of the circulatory system390-434, 436-459I00-I990.71380.0244
31 Acute upper respiratory infections034.0, 460-465J00-J06****
32 Influenza and pneumonia480-487J09-J180.76240.0261
33 Acute bronchitis and acute bronchiolitis466J20-J210.80490.0758
34 Bronchitis, chronic and unspecified490-491J40-J42****
35 Asthma493J45-J46****
36 Pneumonitis due to solids and liquids507J69****
37 Gastritis, duodenitis, and noninfective enteritis and colitis535, 555-558K29, K50-K552.91490.3879
38 Hernia of abdominal cavity and intestinal obstruction without hernia550-553, 560K40-K46, K56****
39 Renal failure and other disorders of kidney584-589N17-N19, N25, N271.04080.0658
40 Newborn affected by maternal hypertensive disorders760.0P00.01.04550.0465
41 Newborn affected by other maternal conditions which may be unrelated to present pregnancy760.1-760.6, 760.8-760.9P00.1-P00.9****
42 Newborn affected by maternal complications of pregnancy761P011.02950.0138
43 Newborn affected by complications of placenta, cord and membranes762P021.04700.0128
44 Newborn affected by other complications of labor and delivery763.0-763.4, 763.6-763.9P031.85000.3262
45 Newborn affected by noxious influences transmitted via placenta or breast milk760.7, 763.5P04****
46 Slow fetal growth and fetal malnutrition764P051.13330.1004
47 Disorders related to short gestation and low birth weight, not elsewhere classified765P071.10600.0064
48 Disorders related to long gestation and high birth weight766P08****
49 Birth trauma767P10-P150.04420.0197
50 Intrauterine hypoxia and birth asphyxia768P20-P211.44770.0599
51 Respiratory distress of newborn769P221.02570.0131
52 Congenital pneumonia770.0P233.80000.9004
53 Neonatal aspiration syndromes770.1P241.39290.1115
54 Interstitial emphysema and related conditions originating in the perinatal period770.2P251.20660.0595
55 Pulmonary hemorrhage originating in the perinatal period770.3P261.46210.0751
56 Chronic respiratory disease originating in the perinatal period770.7P271.13550.0327
57 Atelectasis770.4-770.5P28.0-P28.12.06490.1144
58 Bacterial sepsis of newborn771.8P360.91440.0272
59 Omphalitis of newborn with or without mild hemorrhage771.4P38****
60 Neonatal hemorrhage772P50-P52, P541.43690.0698
61 Hemorrhagic disease of newborn776.0P53****
62 Hemolytic disease of newborn due to isoimmunization and perinatal jaundice773-774P55-P59****
63 Hematological disorders776.1-776.9P60-P61****
64 Syndrome of infant of a diabetic mother and neonatal diabetes mellitus775.0-775.1P70.0-P70.2****
65 Necrotizing entercolitis of newborn777.5P771.22660.0456
66 Hydrops fetalis not due to hemolytic disease778.0P83.21.00000.0264
67 Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities740-759Q00-Q990.90640.0057Birth defects/ Congenital anomalies
68 Sudden infant death syndrome798.0R951.03620.0040SIDS
69 Unintentional injuriesE800-E869, E880-E929V01-X591.02460.0107
70 Assault (homicide)E960-E968*U01, X85-Y090.94810.0179
71 Complications of medical and surgical careE870-E879, E930-E949Y40-Y84****

The new ICD codes for terrorism are preceded with '*'. See Classification of Death and Injury Resulting from Terrorism on the CDC website.

** Figure does not meet NCHS standards for reliability or precision.

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