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F98.3 ICD-10-CA code: Pica of infancy and childhood

F98.3 is the ICD-10-CA code for “Pica of infancy and childhood” in CIHI’s FY 2026–2027 release, in effect from Apr 1, 2026.

Official description

F98.3

Pica of infancy and childhood

ICD-10-CA · Canada · Also written F983

Index terms

Entries in CIHI’s alphabetical index that lead to F98.3. Searching the index by the condition the note names is how coders reach this code.

  • Dirt eating child
  • Pica, infant or child
  • Depraved appetite, in childhood
  • Appetite, depraved, in childhood

Notes for F98.3

As CIHI prints them, with any note F98.3 takes from the headings above it.

Includes

  • Disorders of psychological developmentFrom Chapter 5: Mental and behavioural disorders (F00-F99)

Excludes

Conditions classified elsewhere.

Note

  • Persistent eating of non-nutritive substances (such as soil, paint chippings, etc.). It may occur as one of many symptoms that are part of a more widespread psychiatric disorder (such as autism), or as a relatively isolated psychopathological behaviour; only the latter is classified here. The phenomenon is most common in mentally retarded children and, if mental retardation is also present, F70-F79 should be selected as the main diagnosis.
  • A heterogeneous group of disorders that share the characteristic of an onset in childhood but otherwise differ in many respects. Some of the conditions represent well-defined syndromes but others are no more than symptom complexes that need inclusion because of their frequency and association with psychosocial problems, and because they cannot be incorporated into other syndromes.From F98 Other behavioural and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescence

Where F98.3 sits

  1. 1ChapterChapter 5: Mental and behavioural disorders (F00-F99)
  2. 2Block F90-F98Behavioural and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescence
  3. 3Category F98Other behavioural and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescence
  4. 4Valid code F98.3Pica of infancy and childhood

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.

See F98.3 in the CIHI source

Frequently asked questions

What does ICD-10-CA code F98.3 mean?

F98.3 is the ICD-10-CA code for “Pica of infancy and childhood” in CIHI’s ICD-10-CA FY 2026–2027 release.

Where is F98.3 in ICD-10-CA?

F98.3 sits under F98 Other behavioural and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescence, within F90-F98 Behavioural and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescence, within Chapter 5: Mental and behavioural disorders (F00-F99).

What coding notes apply to F98.3?

ICD-10-CA lists Note, Excludes, Includes notes for F98.3, 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 F98.3

F98.0Nonorganic enuresisF98.1Nonorganic encopresisF98.2Feeding disorder of infancy and childhoodF98.4Stereotyped movement disordersF98.5Stuttering [stammering]F98.6ClutteringF98.8Other specified behavioural and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescenceF98.9Unspecified behavioural and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescence