F98.3Pica of infancy and childhood
Code usage status
Primary diagnosis
May be used as the primary diagnosis
Apply only when it matches the confirmed diagnosis and the documented clinical record.
Specificity
Complete code in the classification
Use when the diagnosis matches and no exclusion applies.
- Chapter V
- Mental and behavioural disorders
- Group F90-F98
- Behavioural and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescence
- Official Vietnamese name
- Tật ăn bậy ở trẻ sơ sinh và/hoặc trẻ nhỏ
- Additional WHO coding guidance
- 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.
Related F98 codes
F98
Other behavioural and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescence
F98.0
Primary diagnosis candidate
Nonorganic enuresis
F98.1
Primary diagnosis candidate
Nonorganic encopresis
F98.2
Primary diagnosis candidate
Feeding disorder of infancy and childhood
F98.4
Primary diagnosis candidate
Stereotyped movement disorders
F98.5
Primary diagnosis candidate
Stuttering [stammering]
F98.6
Primary diagnosis candidate
Cluttering
F98.8
Primary diagnosis candidate
Other specified behavioural and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescence
F98.9
Primary diagnosis candidate
Unspecified behavioural and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescence
Clinical record checklist
View coding guide →- Confirm that the code matches the final documented diagnosis.
- Use one primary-diagnosis code and record only relevant additional conditions.
- Review Ministry indicators, inclusions, exclusions and notes.
- Do not infer a diagnosis beyond the clinical record.
2026 regulatory basis
Indicators are taken from columns 24–29 of the classification accompanying Circular 06/2026/TT-BYT, cross-referenced with Decision 1849/QĐ-BYT and Official Dispatch 4059/BYT-BH.
