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 Cause of Death Ranking 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. ICD-9-CM is still is use for hospital and emergency department diagnoses and procedures.

A full list of ICD codes is available at http://www.who.int/classifications/icd/en/.


Cause of Death ICD-9 Codes ICD-10 Codes Comparability Ratio Standard Error Note
1 Diarrhea and gastroenteritis of infectious origin 009 A09 0.00 0.00
2 Tuberculosis 010-018 A16-A19 ** **
3 Tetanus 037, 771.3 A33, A35 ** **
4 Diphtheria 032 A36 ** **
5 Whooping cough 033 A37 ** **
6 Meningococcal infection 036 A39 0.9615 0.0377
7 Septicemia 038 A40-A41 1.3802 0.0713
8 Congenital syphilis 090 A50 ** **
9 Gonococcal infection 098 A54 ** **
10 Acute poliomyelitis 045 A80 ** ** Polio
11 Varicella 052 B01 ** ** Chickenpox
12 Measles 055 B05 ** **
13 Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease 042-044 B20-B24 ** ** HIV/AIDS
14 Mumps 072 B26 ** **
15 Candidiasis 112 B37 ** **
16 Malaria 084 B50-B54 ** **
17 Pneumocyctosis 136.3 B59 ** **
18 Malignant neoplasms 140-239 C00-C97 1.0139 0.0420 Cancer
19 In situ neoplasms, benign neoplasms and neoplasms of uncertain or unknown behavior 210-239 D00-D48 0.9615 0.1131
20 Diseases of the blood and blood-forming orgnas and certain disorders involving the immune mechanism 135, 279-289 D50-D89 0.7000 0.0803
21 Short stature, not elsewhere classified 259.4 E34.3 ** **
22 Nutritional deficiencies 260-269 E40-E64 ** **
23 Cystic fibrosis 277.0 E84 ** **
24 Volume depletion, diorders of fluid, electrolyte and acid-base balance 276 E86-E87 0.7547 0.0852
25 Meningitis 320-322 G00, G03 1.0000 0.0404
26 Infantile spinal muscular atrophy, type I 335.0 G12.0 1.0000 0.0521 Werdnig-Hoffman
27 Infantile cerebral palsy 343 G80 ** **
28 Anoxic brain damage, not elsewhere classified 348.1 G93.1 0.9667 0.1269
29 Diseases of the ear and mastoid process 380-389 H60-H93 ** **
30 Diseases of the circulatory system 390-434, 436-459 I00-I99 0.7138 0.0244
31 Acute upper respiratory infections 034.0, 460-465 J00-J06 ** **
32 Influenza and pneumonia 480-487 J09-J18 0.7624 0.0261
33 Acute bronchitis and acute bronchiolitis 466 J20-J21 0.8049 0.0758
34 Bronchitis, chronic and unspecified 490-491 J40-J42 ** **
35 Asthma 493 J45-J46 ** **
36 Pneumonitis due to solids and liquids 507 J69 ** **
37 Gastritis, duodenitis, and noninfective enteritis and colitis 535, 555-558 K29, K50-K55 2.9149 0.3879
38 Hernia of abdominal cavity and intestinal obstruction without hernia 550-553, 560 K40-K46, K56 ** **
39 Renal failure and other disorders of kidney 584-589 N17-N19, N25, N27 1.0408 0.0658
40 Newborn affected by maternal hypertensive disorders 760.0 P00.0 1.0455 0.0465
41 Newborn affected by other maternal conditions which may be unrelated to present pregnancy 760.1-760.6, 760.8-760.9 P00.1-P00.9 ** **
42 Newborn affected by maternal complications of pregnancy 761 P01 1.0295 0.0138
43 Newborn affected by complications of placenta, cord and membranes 762 P02 1.0470 0.0128
44 Newborn affected by other complications of labor and delivery 763.0-763.4, 763.6-763.9 P03 1.8500 0.3262
45 Newborn affected by noxious influences transmitted via placenta or breast milk 760.7, 763.5 P04 ** **
46 Slow fetal growth and fetal malnutrition 764 P05 1.1333 0.1004
47 Disorders related to short gestation and low birth weight, not elsewhere classified 765 P07 1.1060 0.0064
48 Disorders related to long gestation and high birth weight 766 P08 ** **
49 Birth trauma 767 P10-P15 0.0442 0.0197
50 Intrauterine hypoxia and birth asphyxia 768 P20-P21 1.4477 0.0599
51 Respiratory distress of newborn 769 P22 1.0257 0.0131
52 Congenital pneumonia 770.0 P23 3.8000 0.9004
53 Neonatal aspiration syndromes 770.1 P24 1.3929 0.1115
54 Interstitial emphysema and related conditions originating in the perinatal period 770.2 P25 1.2066 0.0595
55 Pulmonary hemorrhage originating in the perinatal period 770.3 P26 1.4621 0.0751
56 Chronic respiratory disease originating in the perinatal period 770.7 P27 1.1355 0.0327
57 Atelectasis 770.4-770.5 P28.0-P28.1 2.0649 0.1144
58 Bacterial sepsis of newborn 771.8 P36 0.9144 0.0272
59 Omphalitis of newborn with or without mild hemorrhage 771.4 P38 ** **
60 Neonatal hemorrhage 772 P50-P52, P54 1.4369 0.0698
61 Hemorrhagic disease of newborn 776.0 P53 ** **
62 Hemolytic disease of newborn due to isoimmunization and perinatal jaundice 773-774 P55-P59 ** **
63 Hematological disorders 776.1-776.9 P60-P61 ** **
64 Syndrome of infant of a diabetic mother and neonatal diabetes mellitus 775.0-775.1 P70.0-P70.2 ** **
65 Necrotizing entercolitis of newborn 777.5 P77 1.2266 0.0456
66 Hydrops fetalis not due to hemolytic disease 778.0 P83.2 1.0000 0.0264
67 Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities 740-759 Q00-Q99 0.9064 0.0057 Birth defects/ Congenital anomalies
68 Sudden infant death syndrome 798.0 R95 1.0362 0.0040 SIDS
69 Unintentional injuries E800-E869, E880-E929 V01-X59 1.0246 0.0107
70 Assault (homicide) E960-E968 *U01, X85-Y09 0.9481 0.0179
71 Complications of medical and surgical care E870-E879, E930-E949 Y40-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.

Infant Death Query Infant Death Query
10 Major Causes of Infant Death List of 10 Major Causes of Infant Death
Query Help Query Help Page
130 Causes of Infant Death List of 130 Selected Causes of Infant Death
Main Help Main Help Page
Home Page NJSHAD Home Page
Center for Health Statistics, New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, PO Box 360, Trenton, NJ 08625-0360, Phone: 609-984-6703, Fax: 609-984-7633, e-mail: chs@doh.state.nj.us, Web: www.nj.gov/health/chs
The information provided above is from the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services' NJSHAD Web site (http://nj.gov/health/shad). The information published on this website may be reproduced without permission. Please use the following citation: "Retrieved Wed, 16 May 2012 16:21:08 from New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Center for Health Statistics, State Health Assessment Data Web site: http://nj.gov/health/shad".

Content updated: Wed, 2 May 2012 04:01:14 EDT