A recent state study found that Alaska babies are twice as likely to suffer from birth defects as babies Outside.

Six out of every 100 babies in Alaska are born with birth defects ranging from fetal alcohol syndrome to holes in the walls of the heart. Rates are especially high for Alaska Native children.

Much of the reason for the high rates remains a mystery, said Dr. Bradford Gessner, a pediatrician who is head of the state's Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology unit.

But one important conclusion to be drawn, in our view, is not mysterious at all: Alaska, more than any state in the country, needs to make sure every kid and pregnant woman is covered by health insurance.

How can we do that?

Bumping up the number of children and pregnant women eligible for free government health insurance is the surest way to expand coverage.

Alaska only offers the State Children's Health Insurance Program to children and pregnant women in families that earn up to 175 percent of the federal poverty level. Most other states are more generous. Two hundred percent is common, and some states insure children in families earning up to 2 1/2 times the poverty level.

An attempt to expand children's health insurance failed to win support from either the Legislature or the governor during the last session, though the Senate approved the measure.

Alaska's unfortunate rate of birth defects makes it even more urgent that the state ensure better care for pregnant mothers and children.

Of course, state researchers also need to explore more deeply why Alaska's birth defect rates are higher than the rest of the country, and what can be done about that.

Some defects we know can be prevented, such as those related to alcohol or tobacco use during pregnancy, or to lack of proper vitamins. We should make sure we're doing all we can to help prevent defects from those causes.

But we'll never be able to prevent all defects. Children who are born with them need special care -- and many of them, such as children with Down syndrome, will do "significantly better if they get a lot of intervention," said Dr. Gessner.

Getting children the services they need is the least we can do.

BOTTOM LINE: Alaska is failing to ensure all our children and pregnant women get adequate health care.

ALASKA ALMANAC

The gouge at the gas pump

$2.96 -- Average price of regular gasoline in Anchorage a year ago.

$2.93 -- Average price of regular gasoline nationwide a year ago.

$4.43 -- Average Anchorage regular gas price Thursday.

$4.00 -- Average U.S. price for regular gas Thursday.

$4.39 -- Lowest regular gas price reported in Anchorage on Thursday (Costco on Bragaw, Tesoro on Boniface and Government Hill).

26 cents -- Average gasoline taxes, per gallon, we pay in Alaska.

1 -- Rank of Alaska among states with the lowest gasoline taxes.

49.4 cents -- Average taxes per gallon of gasoline in the U.S. average.

$3.51 -- Average price of gasoline in the U.S., net of state and federal taxes.

$4.17 -- Average price of gasoline in Alaska, net of state and federal taxes.

66 cents -- Extra amount Alaskans pay per gallon of gasoline today, not counting differences in taxes.