When should perinatal ICD-10-CM codes be discontinued for a patient?

Here’s a practical guide to one tricky corner of ICD-10-CM coding: the perinatal codes. If you’re studying how birth-related conditions get coded, you know these codes live in a compact, highly specific lane. They describe issues around the moment of birth, not far beyond it. Let’s unpack the question you’ve probably seen in some study guides:

When should a perinatal code be discontinued?

A. After delivery

B. Only if not applicable

C. Throughout the life of the patient

D. Only during the first year

The line you’ll often see labeled as the “correct” one in reference materials is this: Throughout the life of the patient. That might sound odd at first glance, given how perinatal codes are defined and used. So let’s slow down, map out the logic, and connect the dots to everyday coding practice.

What counts as perinatal, anyway?

Perinatal codes in ICD-10-CM are designed to capture conditions related to the period around birth. The scope isn’t “all ailments a person ever has” but rather a window tied to gestational and immediate postnatal time. Clinically, the perinatal period is commonly defined as from 22 completed weeks of gestation to 7 completed days after birth. That’s a narrow slice, but it’s a critical one. Codes in this block (often in the P00–P96 range) are used to characterize problems affecting the fetus or newborn that arise in that window.

From window to lifetime record—where does discontinuation fit in?

Here’s where the conversation can get fuzzy, and that’s why you’ll see different framings in different sources. The core point in the rationale you’ll encounter is straightforward: once a patient moves beyond the perinatal window, the events and conditions that began around birth aren’t typically coded as perinatal on new encounters. In other words, for a current visit years later, you wouldn’t routinely assign a new perinatal code to describe a currently active problem. You’d use codes that reflect the patient’s age and the current condition.

But the exam-style question you shared says the correct answer is “Throughout the life of the patient.” How do we square that with the practical rule above? Here’s the nuanced way to think about it:

• Historical versus current coding. Perinatal codes are about conditions tied to birth timing. If a perinatal condition has ongoing relevance or remains part of the patient’s medical history, it may appear in the chart as historical information. It doesn’t automatically vanish from the record, even after the perinatal period has passed. Clinically, you might see a note like “history of prematurity” or “congenital anomaly” that references birth-related issues. Those historical references can be important for long-term care, surveillance, and data quality, even if they aren’t the active diagnosis in a current encounter.

• Active vs. historical use at encounters. For a routine or current-conditions visit years later, you’d typically code for the present problem using age-appropriate categories. A perinatal code isn’t the default active code just because the patient was born with a certain condition. However, if the present situation is directly tied to a birth-related issue (for example, a congenital condition that persists into childhood or adulthood), you may use a code from the perinatal/congenital spectrum appropriately, or you may instead use a congenital anomaly code if that’s more precise and up-to-date.

• The data-keeping side. From a data reporting and historical perspective, the birth-related codes aren’t simply erased. They contribute to the patient’s longitudinal record, and they affect epidemiology, outcomes research, and health system planning. In that sense, you could say the information lives on in the chart—hence “throughout the life of the patient” as a record, not necessarily as the active problem at every encounter.

Let me explain with a couple of practical ways this plays out

• Case 1: A newborn with a diagnosed respiratory issue around birth. In the newborn period, a perinatal code is used to capture that acute problem. If, by one year of age, the child has fully recovered and the issue is no longer active, a clinician wouldn’t keep listing a perinatal code as an active diagnosis in future visits. The historical note may stay in the record, but the ongoing care would be guided by age-appropriate pediatric codes for any new or persisting conditions.

• Case 2: A child born with a congenital condition that remains a health concern as they grow. In this case, the perinatal or congenital code might still be relevant, but coders must ensure the code matches the current context. If the condition persists and is clinically active, the coding would reflect current status with the most precise code available for the patient’s age and condition.

A few practical points to keep in mind

• The perinatal window is a real boundary. If a newborn’s issue truly arises during that window (gestation to 7 days after birth), use the perinatal code. This keeps data clean and consistent with the clinical timeline.

• After the perinatal window, look to age-appropriate coding. The goal is to describe the patient’s current health status accurately at the time of the encounter.

• Historical context matters. Even if a perinatal code isn’t used for active treatment, mentioning birth-related history can be essential for clarity, risk assessment, and future care.

Common misconceptions worth clearing

• Perinatal codes disappear once a patient hits age one. Not exactly. The practical rule is that these codes aren’t typically used for current encounters after infancy. But the history of birth-related conditions can remain in the chart and be important for context.

• If a perinatal condition resolves, the code should be deleted from the record. Not necessarily. In many systems, historical coding remains for documentation accuracy and data integrity, even if the condition isn’t active. It’s about distinguishing current active problems from past events.

• Every birth-related issue must stay coded with a perinatal code forever. Not so. The coding should reflect the patient’s current clinical picture and the purpose of the encounter. The perinatal code is a tool for a defined window, not a blanket label for all future encounters.

Tips for staying precise in real-world coding

• Always verify the encounter type and patient age when selecting codes. A newborn visit is a different coding context than a routine adult checkup.

• Check the date range for the perinatal window and confirm whether the issue is truly time-bound to birth or if it has ongoing relevance that fits into congenital or chronic condition coding.

• Use historical notes to support the record. If you’re documenting a history of prematurity, for example, a historical note can convey that history without cluttering the active problem list with non-current perinatal codes.

• Keep a mental map of the perinatal block (P00–P96 or similar) so you know where those codes live and when they should be considered.

A final word on the big picture

Perinatal coding lives at the intersection of birth timing, clinical presentation, and long-term health data. The idea that a perinatal code is discontinued “throughout the life of the patient” is a neat shorthand, but the real operating principle is subtler. These codes describe conditions tied to birth. The encounter in which you code them is determined by the patient’s age, current health status, and the clinical question at hand. In practice, you’ll:

• Use perinatal codes for events that occur in the perinatal window.

• Tilt toward age-appropriate codes for later encounters, unless a birth-related condition remains active or is congenital in a way that warrants a specific, current code.

• Preserve historical birth-related information in the chart to support continuity of care and accurate health data.

If you keep these threads in mind, you’ll be able to navigate perinatal coding with confidence. And yes, the broader takeaway ties back to the question you asked: the concept that perinatal information persists in the patient’s lifetime record—whether as an active code during the birth window or as a historical note in later years. The key is to match the coding to the patient’s current situation while honoring the significance of birth-related events in the medical history.

So next time you’re faced with a perinatal code scenario, pause, map out the patient’s age and encounter purpose, and then decide: Is this current care, or is this a historical marker from the birth window? The answer will steer you toward precise, meaningful coding—and that’s what good ICD-10-CM practice is all about.