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Use of the uterine size/dates discrepancy code set (O26.841-O26.849) is appropriate when the measurement between the symphysis pubis and the top of the fundus is not consistent with the stated dates. There may be a diagnosis of uterine size/dates discrepancy, whether the fetus itself is large,... Continue Reading
Approximately 0.5% of all births occur before the third trimester of pregnancy, and these very early deliveries result in the majority of neonatal deaths and more than 40% of infant deaths. A recent executive summary of proceedings from a joint workshop defined periviable birth as delivery... Continue Reading
Important Tips: 1. It will be relatively rare for an MFM physician to bill global obstetric care, because some portion of the antepartum service will have typically been provided by an obstetrician unaffiliated withhis/her practice. The most common occasion in which it will occur is when an MFM... Continue Reading
Common disorders of pregnancy, such as preeclampsia, preterm birth, and fetal growth abnormalities,continue to challenge perinatal biologists seeking insights into disease pathogenesis that will result in better diagnosis, therapy, and disease prevention. These challenges have recently been... Continue Reading
Third-trimester bleeding is a common complication arising from a variety of etiologies, some of which may initially present in the late preterm period. Previous management recommendations have not been specific to this gestational age window, which carries a potentially lower threshold for... Continue Reading
Myelomeningocele, a severe form of spina bifida, occurs in approximately 1 in 3,000 live births in the United States. The extent of disability is generally related to the level of the myelomeningocele defect, with a higher upper level of lesion generally corresponding to greater deficits. Open... Continue Reading
In 2015, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine developed a low risk for cesarean delivery definition based on administrative claims-based diagnosis codes described by the International Classification ofDiseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification. The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine... Continue Reading
Providers perceive current obstetric quality measures as imperfect and insufficient. Our organizations convened a “Quality Measures in High-Risk Pregnancies Workshop.” The goals were to: Review thecurrent landscape regarding quality measures in obstetric conditions with... Continue Reading
The introduction of cell-free DNA screening for aneuploidy into obstetric practice in 2011 revolutionized the strategies utilized for prenatal testing. The purpose of this document is to review the current data on the role of ultrasound in women who have undergone or are considering cell-free DNA... Continue Reading
Acetaminophen is the most widely used medicine during pregnancy. While the rate of use in pregnancy is difficult to determine because it is an over-the-counter medication, large surveys have reported that 40–65% of pregnant women use acetaminophen at some time during their pregnancy. The... Continue Reading
Cell-free fetal DNA (cfDNA) screening has enhanced the ability to offer early aneuploidy screeningin pregnancy. The purpose of this White Paper is to describe billing recommendations when cfDNAscreening is done or considered in conjunction with first trimester Nuchal Translucency screening(CPT... Continue Reading
SMFM Coding CommitteeNewsletter Coding Tip – August 2017ICD-10-CM Changes for 2018With the adoption of the International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM), Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) specialists lost the opportunity to be specific in assigning... Continue Reading
