[Morgana]

Never mind the drop, how come there was a spike of deaths in the 1960’s?

[TigersEye]

Most likely more total abortions.

[publius911]

Never mind the drop, how come there was a spike of deaths in the 1960’s?

Flower power, baby.
And societal inattention. Hard to believe so many hundreds of thousands of young females disappeared from what was previously "normal lives," and few parents seemed to care.

[Neidermeyer]

Never mind the drop, how come there was a spike of deaths in the 1960’s?
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I looked back at the chart and from 1960-1969 the numbers dropped... I see what looks like a rise at 1960 being nearly identical to the 1950 number ,, the better question is “Why the trough in the 1950’s?” and “Why the steady decline throughout the 1960’s?” ,, I can answer the 1960’s question ,,, the birth control pill in 1961/62 and fewer pregnancies among women who wanted to avoid pregnancy. Why the spike in 1956-1960 ,, my answer is that it’s hardly a significant number ... a few hundred a year out of about 200million population (1955) ... we lose that many in 8 hours EVERY DAY during flu season...