ICD-11 Classification for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (LD2F.00)

A child with prenatal alcohol exposure rarely presents with a single tidy sign — they present with a profile, and ICD-11 finally gives that profile a coded home.

In short

In ICD-11-MMS, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is classified under code LD2F.00, sitting within the chapter on developmental anomalies — specifically the grouping for disorders due to certain specified developmental anomalies of the nervous system attributable to prenatal substance exposure. It captures the neurodevelopmental and, where present, physical and growth consequences of prenatal alcohol exposure, recognising FASD as a spectrum rather than a single fixed phenotype. The code formalises that the central, lifelong impact is on the developing central nervous system.

What the classification captures

LD2F.00 frames FASD around documented (or, in some presentations, inferred) prenatal alcohol exposure together with a pattern of central nervous system involvement. Clinically this commonly includes:

• Neurodevelopmental impairment — affecting cognition, executive function, attention, learning, memory, language and adaptive behaviour.
• Growth deficits — pre- or post-natal, in a proportion of children.
• Characteristic facial features in some presentations (short palpebral fissures, smooth philtrum, thin vermilion border), though these are not required across the whole spectrum.

Because expression varies widely, two children with the same LD2F.00 code may look very different functionally — which is why coding establishes the category, but a functional profile drives the support plan. Mapping presentation to the WHO ICF model of functioning, rather than the code alone, is what makes therapy targeted and measurable.

Why the coding matters in practice

A confirmed classification supports cross-disciplinary communication, eligibility, longitudinal tracking and research consistency. For the clinician it signals a need to assess across multiple domains — not to treat FASD as a purely behavioural or purely cognitive entity — and to screen proactively for co-occurring attention, regulation and learning difficulties that respond well to structured, early intervention.

The Pinnacle way

A clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre, under qualified clinician care — never from a code, an app or an online form. For a child with suspected or confirmed prenatal alcohol exposure, our teams build a domain-by-domain functional profile and a coordinated plan spanning occupational therapy, speech therapy and learning support. You can read how the measure works at the AbilityScore explainer, or start at our [home page](/).

Trusted sources

WHO ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics, code LD2F.00; WHO International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Both are paraphrased here for clinical orientation, not reproduced verbatim.

Next step — For a child with known or suspected prenatal alcohol exposure, refer to a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre for a structured developmental assessment and coordinated multidisciplinary plan.

This is general information, not a diagnosis — a clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre under qualified clinician care.