The U.S. has a high rate of preterm births, and abortion bans could make that worse

Physicians say roughly half of all preterm births are preventable, caused by social, economic and environmental factors, as well as inadequate access to prenatal health care. (ER Productions Limited/Getty Images)

Tamara Etienne's second pregnancy was freighted with risk and worry from its earliest days — exacerbated by a first pregnancy that had ended in miscarriage.

A third-grade teacher at an overcrowded Miami-Dade County public school at the time, she spent harried days on her feet. Financial worries weighed heavily, even with health insurance and some paid time off through her job.