Big strides have been made in reducing the medical causes of infant death, but that progress has been undermined by a jump in deaths due to accidents, according to the latest federal statistics.

New Jersey's infant mortality rate is the third-lowest in the nation, bested by only New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Overall, New Jersey's rate dropped 15 percent -- mirroring the national trend -- from 2005 to 2014, said a report from the National Center for Health Statistics.

Sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, dropped a whopping 29 percent since 2005. Congenital malformations - the largest cause of infant death - dropped as well, as did deaths attributed to a shortened pregnancy or low birth weight.

However, the fifth-leading cause, "unintentional injuries," saw an 11 percent jump. That category includes all types of accidents: car accidents, drownings, suffocation, falls, or poisoning.

As a group, the Hispanic infant mortality rate is slightly below the national average. Yet within that group, there are large variations, with the rate for Puerto Ricans a third higher than for other nationalities within that ethnic group.

Black infants continue to have a disproportionately high mortality rate - roughly twice the national average - with Alabama and Mississippi having the worst rates among the states. Despite that unenviable position, that group also showed the most progress, with deaths dropping by a fifth.

Kathleen O'Brien may be reached at kobrien@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @OBrienLedger. Find NJ.com on Facebook.