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NM launches SIDS awareness Web page

The New Mexico Department of Health has a new Web page aimed at educating parents about ways to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and other sleep-related causes of infant deaths.

Interim Health Secretary Brad McGrath says parents should put their babies to sleep in a bassinet or crib to keep them safe rather than sleeping in the same bed.

The Web page also stresses the importance of having infants sleep on their backs in safe places free of any soft bedding, blankets or quilts.

The department says SIDS is the leading cause of death among infants, and it's the third leading cause of overall infant mortality in the United States.

In New Mexico, 60 deaths were categorized as Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths between 2009 and 2011.