Facial nerve injury due to birth trauma

This code signifies damage to the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII) in a newborn, directly resulting from mechanical forces experienced during the birth process. This injury can manifest as facial asymmetry, difficulty with eye closure, or impaired suckling due to muscle weakness or paralysis on one side of the face.

Apply this code when documentation clearly indicates a facial nerve palsy or paralysis in a neonate, explicitly attributed to birth trauma. This typically arises from pressure on the nerve during passage through the birth canal, often associated with forceps delivery or prolonged labor.

• Ensure documentation specifies "birth trauma" as the etiology; otherwise, consider other codes for congenital or acquired facial nerve disorders.
• Do not use for facial nerve palsies of unknown origin or those clearly linked to genetic conditions or infections.
• Sequence this code as a primary diagnosis when it is the main reason for the encounter, or as a secondary diagnosis if it is a significant co-morbidity.