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Sucralose, a chemical found in the popular zero-calorie sweetener Splenda, has been shown to cause damage to DNA, raise the risk of cancer and cause leaks in the gut lining, according to a new study from North Carolina State University. Splenda is used as a sugar substitute in thousands of foods, beverages, desserts and candy. The product contains 1.10% sucralose. It is made by Tate & Lyle in the U.K. (Rudy, 6/8)

If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, wake up too early most days or have other signs of insomnia, you may be at higher risk for stroke, a new study found. The more symptoms of insomnia you have the higher the risk, especially if you’re younger than age 50, according to the study, which followed over 31,000 people with no history of stroke for nine years. Stroke risk is typically higher in older adults with more health problems, the study noted. (LaMotte, 6/7)

At 45 years old, Kate DeGaetano wanted to be pregnant more than anything in the world. But the thought also terrified her. She worried about having the strength to carry her child or what others would say when she picked them up from kindergarten. “I was nervous and scared,” the Chicago resident said. “Was it something I was 100% going to do? Yes. But that doesn’t mean those feelings weren’t there.” (Rodriguez, 6/7)

Early implementation of a type of skin-to-skin contact called kangaroo mother care appears to significantly improve the odds of survival for premature or low-birth-weight babies, according to a sweeping scientific analysis published Monday. Researchers analyzed data from multiple studies that collectively included more than 15,000 infants worldwide. They found that, compared to conventional care, kangaroo mother care seemed to reduce mortality by 32 percent within the first 28 days of life. The study also suggests that the benefits of kangaroo mother care are higher when it’s implemented within 24 hours of birth. (Malhi, 6/7)

Thousands of Boppy Company newborn loungers that were deemed “too risky to remain on the market” are still available to buy on Facebook Marketplace, federal safety regulators said, despite the company recalling the popular pillowlike products in 2021 following a string of infant deaths linked to them. (Hassan, 6/7)

“Soaring obesity rates.” “An alarming surge in BMI.” We’ve grown accustomed to the obesity trend stories over the last few decades, since prevalence rates started to rise. A closer look at the latest global obesity data tells a more nuanced story than monolithic surging. It’s true that, worldwide, obesity continues to rise. But in high-income countries, such as the U.S., the rate of increase in body mass index, or BMI, has actually been slowing, even beginning to level off. (Belluz, 6/8)

America’s teenagers are seeing a lot less of one another. The share of high school seniors who gathered with friends in person “almost every day” dropped from 44 percent in 2010 to 32 percent in 2022, according to Monitoring the Future, a national survey of adolescents. Social outings for the typical eighth grader dwindled from about 2 1/2 a week in 2000 to 1 1/2 in 2021. (De Vise, 6/7)

For the first time, data show what disability rights advocates have known for some time: Autism is impacting non-White people, women and girls more than ever. And having the data available is fueling their calls for change. (Gilyard, 6/7)

�������ýҕ�l Health News: Massage Therapists Ease The Pain Of Hospice Patients — But Aren’t Easy To Find 

Ilyse Streim views massage for people in hospice care as “whispering to the body through touch.” “It’s much lighter work. It’s nurturing. It’s slow,” said Streim, a licensed massage therapist. Massage therapy for someone near the end of life looks and feels different from a spa treatment. Some people stay clothed or lie in bed. Others sit up in their wheelchairs. Streim avoids touching bedsores and fresh surgery wounds and describes her work as “meditating and moving at the same time.” She recalled massaging the shoulders, hands, and feet of one client as he sat in his favorite recliner and watched baseball on TV in the final weeks of his life. (Ruder, 6/8)