F70-F79 ICD-10-CA block: Mental retardation
F70-F79 isn’t a code on its own. Choose one of the 24 codes beneath it, the one the documentation supports.
Official description
F70-F79Mental retardation (F70-F79)
ICD-10-CA · Canada
Codes in F70-F79
F70-F79 isn’t a code on its own. Open the group that matches what the note documents.
Notes for F70-F79
As CIHI prints them, with any note F70-F79 takes from the headings above it.
Includes
- Disorders of psychological developmentFrom Chapter 5: Mental and behavioural disorders (F00-F99)
Use additional code
Add a code for this detail when the note documents it.
- Use additional code, to identify associated conditions such as autism, other developmental disorders, epilepsy, conduct disorders, or severe physical handicap.
Excludes
Conditions classified elsewhere.
- Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99)From Chapter 5: Mental and behavioural disorders (F00-F99)
Note
- A condition of arrested or incomplete development of the mind, which is especially characterized by impairment of skills manifested during the developmental period, skills which contribute to the overall level of intelligence, i.e. cognitive, language, motor, and social abilities. Retardation can occur with or without any other mental or physical condition.Degrees of mental retardation are conventionally estimated by standardized intelligence tests. These can be supplemented by scales assessing social adaptation in a given environment. These measures provide an approximate indication of the degree of mental retardation. The diagnosis will also depend on the overall assessment of intellectual functioning by a skilled diagnostician.Intellectual abilities and social adaptation may change over time, and, however poor, may improve as a result of training and rehabilitation. Diagnosis should be based on the current levels of functioning.
Where F70-F79 sits
- 1ChapterChapter 5: Mental and behavioural disorders (F00-F99)
- 2Block F70-F79Mental retardation
Source and release
- Data release
- ICD-10-CA · FY 2026–2027
- Effective date
- Apr 1, 2026
- Publisher
- CIHI
This page is built from the ICD-10-CA catalog that Vero Codes reads when it suggests codes: Canadian Institute for Health Information’s FY 2026–2027 release, imported from the publisher’s file and checked against it. The description, notes and structured data come from the same record.
Frequently asked questions
Is F70-F79 a valid ICD-10-CA code?
No. F70-F79 (Mental retardation) is a block heading in CIHI’s ICD-10-CA FY 2026–2027 release. It holds 24 codes; record the one the documentation supports.
Where is F70-F79 in ICD-10-CA?
F70-F79 sits under Chapter 5: Mental and behavioural disorders (F00-F99).
What coding notes apply to F70-F79?
ICD-10-CA lists Note, Use additional code, Includes, Excludes notes for F70-F79, including those from the headings it sits under. They are listed on this page with where each one comes from.
Which ICD-10-CA release does this page use?
It uses CIHI’s FY 2026–2027 release, in effect from Apr 1, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027. It is a reference: confirm the code against the current list and the payer’s rules before you submit it.
Codes beside F70-F79
F00-F09Organic, including symptomatic, mental disordersF10-F19Mental and behavioural disorders due to psychoactive substance useF20-F29Schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disordersF30-F39Mood [affective] disordersF40-F48Neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disordersF50-F59Behavioural syndromes associated with physiological disturbances and physical factorsF60-F69Disorders of adult personality and behaviourF80-F89Disorders of psychological developmentF90-F98Behavioural and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescenceF99-F99Unspecified mental disorder (F99)