Navajo Lake is a 3800 feet long and 400 feet deep reservoir located in northeastern San Juan County, created from a dam completed in 1962.
The Aztec Ruins National Monument, on 318 acres, consists of dwellings and sacred structures built by Ancient Pueblo Indians in the 12th and 13th Centuries.
Angel Peak Scenic Area is located 15 miles south of Bloomfield in San Juan County, with over 10,000 acres of rugged terrain, badlands and deep canyons.
Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness (Bisti Badlands) is a 45,000-acre wilderness area full of rock formations made of sandstone, shale, mudstone, and silt.
The La Plata Mountains, seen from San Juan County, are a small subrange of the San Juan Mountains in sw Colorado, and includes Hesperus Mountain at 13,332 feet.
The San Juan River is a 383 mile long major tributary of the Colorado River and a primary drainage for the Four Corners.
The eggs and hoodoos in the Bisti Wilderness were formed in sand and silt revealed 73 million years ago when the Western Interior Seaway receded.
Shiprock (Tsé Bitʼaʼí, "rock with wings") is a 27 million year old volcanic rock formation, designated as a National Natural Landmark, rising 1,583 feet above the desert.

Child Maternal Health

Category: Health & Wellness

Birth Outcomes

Low birth weight (LBW) is an indicator of child health, and refers to the percent of live births in which the infant’s weight is less than 5 and a half pounds (2,500 grams). LBW can indicate maternal exposure to health risks, access to health care, or other stressors.

In 2024, 8.8% of babies born in San Juan County experienced low birth weight. This measure is similar to New Mexico and the U.S., having increased from 6.7% in 2020 to the current 8.8% (2024).

Another child-maternal health indicator, the infant mortality rate of 5.8 infant deaths per 1,000 births in San Juan County is similar to rates across New Mexico (5.2) and the U.S. (5.5).

Low Birth Weight
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Infant Mortality Rate per 1,000 Births

Trends & Race-Ethnicity

The percent of babies experiencing low birth weight in San Juan County is similar to New Mexico and U.S. rates.

Rates are similar for Native American (7.7%) and Caucasian babies (8.0%), whereas low birth weight was more common among Hispanic babies (12.1%) in 2024.

Prenatal Care

Prenatal care is a health factor that plays a central role in infant and child health. Across San Juan County, 57.5% of mothers receive first trimester prenatal care, a rate that is somewhat below New Mexico (61.1%) and well below the U.S. rate of 75.5%.

In 2024, Native American mothers were less likely to receive prenatal care than Caucasian and Hispanic mothers.

From 2023 to 2024, prenatal care increased among Hispanic mothers, from 48.4% in 2023 to 60.5%. Among Native American mothers, the percentage decreased somewhat from 56.8% to 53.6%, but was a decrease from 64.6% in 2022, Among Caucasian mothers, the rate increased from 58.0% in 2023 to 61.5%, but was a decrease from 75.1% in 2022.

1st Trimester Prenatal Care

Teen Birth Rate

Teen birth rate is a leading social indicator of maternal and child health. Teen pregnancies are more likely to result in health problems for both mother and baby, and parenting challenges can create social and economic hardship. 

There has been a substantial decline in teen births. Of the 1199 births in San Juan County in 2024, 65 (5.4%) were to teen mothers (age 15-19). San Juan County’s rate of 14.1 births per 1000 teen females is between New Mexico's rate of 18.0, and the U.S. rate of 12.7.

In 2024, the rate of teen births was higher among Hispanic teen girls, follwed by Native Amercican and Caucasian teen girls.

County and State Birth Outcomes, New Mexico Indicator-Based Information System (NM-IBIS):
https://ibis.doh.nm.gov/

National Data: 
https://www.americashealthrankings.org

Updated/Checked: Sept-Oct 2026

Additional data related to pregnancy and prenatal care are available from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) data in NM-IBIS: 

PRAMS is a surveillance system supported through a cooperative agreement with the New Mexico Department of Health Maternal Child Health Epidemiology Program and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
https://ibis.health.state.nm.us/query/selection/prams/_PRAMSSelection.html