New Mexico health officials say the state's infant mortality rate has dropped significantly.
The state Department of Health said Tuesday the latest figures show a decrease from 6.9 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2012 to 5.4 in 2013.
Health Secretary Retta Ward says the rate can vary substantially year to year and steep increases or decreases are not uncommon.
Ward says the department continues to try to understand the causes and implement initiatives to prevent or decrease infant deaths.
Birth defects as well as low birth weight and disorders related to preterm births were the most common causes of infant deaths in 2012.
The department says it has been participating in a regional collaborative to reduce infant mortality.
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