Neonatal-perinatal medicine deals with the diseases and disorders of the newborn. Perinatal refers to the time just before and just after birth, while neonatal refers to the time after the baby is born. A neonatal-perinatal physician has special training, knowledge and skills to treat illness and premature birth of infants. The neonatal or perinatal physician specialist may be a pediatrician, and may consult with an obstetrician to help with a patient who has a higher-than-normal risk for pregnancy complications. The neonatal physician’s level of expertise is in patient care and improving the health of newborns.

Doctor density varies by specialty and location. Alaska has 10 practicing neonatal-perinatal medicine doctors. Broken out by city, neonatal-perinatal medicine doctor density in Anchorage is 9 and in Eielson Afb is 1.

Alaska became the 49th state in 1959, and Juneau is its capital city. Comprising 586,000 square miles, the population is 663,661. Also called the Land of the Midnight Sun, Alaska’s average winter temperatures are around 20°F, so tourism is active all year round. You can study Alaska’s native culture, take a dogsled ride, enjoy skiing, snowboarding, skating, ice fishing, or a sea kayak ride. Enjoy winter carnivals and festivals. Take a cruise to view wildlife, including humpback whales, pan for gold, or fish for Alaska’s world-famous King salmon.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Alaska has a population of 663,661. Of this population, 172,628 are under the age of 18 and 43,134 are at or above the age of 65.