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For Shanya and Leslie, prenatal care and addiction treatment were provided once they were transferred from jail to prison, they said.

Cohen: Maybe the big story here isn't that Texas midwife was charged with alleged illegal abortions, but that Texas closed three clinics providing prenatal care for low-income Spanish speakers.

Overall, Medicaid expansion has been linked to earlier prenatal care, higher postpartum visit rates, and better continuity of care, which are critical in reducing complications that contribute to maternal deaths.

As more women are forced to carry high-risk pregnancies to term without adequate prenatal care, rates of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia and postpartum hemorrhaging will increase — leading to lifelong health complications and even death.

Another woman, identified as Jane Doe #4 in the lawsuit, was 7½ months pregnant when she was transferred to Chino, the only state facility that offers prenatal care, according to the complaint.