In a 6-year period in New Mexico, the medical examiner investigated 45 deaths determined to be child abuse-related. Decedents were predominantly male (68.9 percent), Hispanic White (53.3 percent), and all were 5 years of age or younger, with a median age of 1 year. Head injuries were the most common cause of death (44.4 percent), followed by battered baby syndrome (15.6 percent). Relatives were involved as alleged perpetrators in 80 percent of the cases, with the father most often implicated (36.1 percent of cases), and 88.9 percent of child abuse injuries resulting in death occurred in the family's residence. Toxicology was positive in 26.7 percent of cases, but only two cases had substances of abuse present. Information on risk factors such as prematurity, parental age, and history of abuse was also collected. 3 figures, 1 table, and 18 references (Published abstract)