It’s projected that five thousand more babies will be born in Mississippi this year as a result of the state’s restrictive abortion ban. Many of these babies will be born in rural areas of Mississippi where the maternal healthcare system is already stretched to the limit. We travel to the Mississippi Delta to understand how a surge in births is playing out in a state that is already one of the riskiest places in the country for pregnant women and babies.

Mona Iskander is an award-winning producer and correspondent of long-form newsmagazines and documentaries.

Co-published with USA Today.