Civic Group Survey on Infant Sleep Safety Reveals Knowledge-Practice Gap in 30% of Parents
A survey by a Taiwanese civic group found that while 90% of parents are aware of safe infant sleep practices, 30% have a 'knowledge-practice gap,' failing to apply what they know. Experts are sounding the alarm on high-risk behaviors that can lead to suffocation.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 14, 2026 at 13:34
- 🔍 Collected: May 14, 2026 at 14:02 (27 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 15, 2026 at 06:19 (16h 16m after Collected)
Taipei, May 14 (CNA) - Many parents use pillows or let their infants sleep on their stomachs for the sake of head shape, but a doctor warned today that these are high-risk behaviors for suffocation. A civic group survey shows that while 90% of parents know about sleep safety concepts, there is a 30% gap between knowledge and practice, urging the government to strengthen health education.
With National Child Safety Day marking its 20th anniversary tomorrow, the Jing Chuan Child Safety Foundation held a press conference today to announce the results of a survey on infant sleep safety conducted among parents of infants under one year old in Taiwan's six major cities. A total of 406 questionnaires were collected, and correct infant sleep principles were demonstrated at the event.
Jing Chuan Foundation CEO Hsu Ya-jen pointed out that according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare's 'Retrospective Analysis Report on Causes of Death for Children Under Six from 2022 to 2023,' of the 84 sleep-related death cases, 43 were highly preventable, meaning half of the cases could have been avoided. With the declining birthrate, every life brought into the world should be cherished.
Hsu Ya-jen explained that according to Jing Chuan's survey, 80% of parents only occasionally received or had almost no impression of sleep safety information from pregnancy to postpartum. The main channels for receiving this information were pregnancy and child health manuals and medical institutions, with social media ranking third, indicating that government agencies still have room for improvement in health education.
Hsu Ya-jen mentioned that the survey showed parents had insufficient knowledge about concepts like 'supine position' and 'firm mattress,' with 'infant mattress hardness selection' having the lowest health education coverage at only 57.56%.
Further analyzing the gap between actual practice and knowledge, Hsu Ya-jen stated that the largest 'know but don't do' gaps were for 'infants must have a separate crib' and 'do not place pillows,' with gaps of 30% and 21% respectively. Exploring the reasons why parents couldn't provide a separate crib, reasons included the need to soothe the baby to sleep and the convenience of breastfeeding. For pillows, parents believed it would lead to more stable sleep or were concerned about head shape.
Hsu Ya-jen pointed out that the questionnaire showed that mothers are the primary caregivers for infants, both day and night, indicating a heavy caregiving burden on them. The government's efforts on infant sleep safety cannot just stop at the promotional stage; it should also address the difficulties parents face. She called on the Ministry of Health and Welfare to expand parenting guidance to all newborns, make sleep safety a key item in home visits, and prioritize support for high-risk families.
DPP Legislator Lin Yueh-chin stated that infant sleep safety cannot just be about asking parents to be careful. The government should establish a reporting and recall mechanism for high-risk infant products, strengthen inspection standards for mattresses and sleep products, and establish a proactive risk reminder system for childcare centers, home-based childcare, and parent-child centers.
Dr. Peng Chun-chih, director of the Department of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine at MacKay Children's Hospital, said the safest infant sleep environment is a separate crib, clear of any objects, with the infant sleeping on their back. Many parents in Taiwan are concerned about their infant's head shape, but it's not a matter of sleeping position but whether parents give their infants enough playtime while awake to let the head shape develop naturally.
Peng Chun-chih emphasized that parents must not change the sleeping position for the sake of the infant's head shape. Common but high-risk caregiving myths like 'prone sleeping is better' or 'side sleeping to prevent spitting up' increase the risk of suffocation and sleep-related death. (Editor: Chang Ya-ching) 1150514
With National Child Safety Day marking its 20th anniversary tomorrow, the Jing Chuan Child Safety Foundation held a press conference today to announce the results of a survey on infant sleep safety conducted among parents of infants under one year old in Taiwan's six major cities. A total of 406 questionnaires were collected, and correct infant sleep principles were demonstrated at the event.
Jing Chuan Foundation CEO Hsu Ya-jen pointed out that according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare's 'Retrospective Analysis Report on Causes of Death for Children Under Six from 2022 to 2023,' of the 84 sleep-related death cases, 43 were highly preventable, meaning half of the cases could have been avoided. With the declining birthrate, every life brought into the world should be cherished.
Hsu Ya-jen explained that according to Jing Chuan's survey, 80% of parents only occasionally received or had almost no impression of sleep safety information from pregnancy to postpartum. The main channels for receiving this information were pregnancy and child health manuals and medical institutions, with social media ranking third, indicating that government agencies still have room for improvement in health education.
Hsu Ya-jen mentioned that the survey showed parents had insufficient knowledge about concepts like 'supine position' and 'firm mattress,' with 'infant mattress hardness selection' having the lowest health education coverage at only 57.56%.
Further analyzing the gap between actual practice and knowledge, Hsu Ya-jen stated that the largest 'know but don't do' gaps were for 'infants must have a separate crib' and 'do not place pillows,' with gaps of 30% and 21% respectively. Exploring the reasons why parents couldn't provide a separate crib, reasons included the need to soothe the baby to sleep and the convenience of breastfeeding. For pillows, parents believed it would lead to more stable sleep or were concerned about head shape.
Hsu Ya-jen pointed out that the questionnaire showed that mothers are the primary caregivers for infants, both day and night, indicating a heavy caregiving burden on them. The government's efforts on infant sleep safety cannot just stop at the promotional stage; it should also address the difficulties parents face. She called on the Ministry of Health and Welfare to expand parenting guidance to all newborns, make sleep safety a key item in home visits, and prioritize support for high-risk families.
DPP Legislator Lin Yueh-chin stated that infant sleep safety cannot just be about asking parents to be careful. The government should establish a reporting and recall mechanism for high-risk infant products, strengthen inspection standards for mattresses and sleep products, and establish a proactive risk reminder system for childcare centers, home-based childcare, and parent-child centers.
Dr. Peng Chun-chih, director of the Department of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine at MacKay Children's Hospital, said the safest infant sleep environment is a separate crib, clear of any objects, with the infant sleeping on their back. Many parents in Taiwan are concerned about their infant's head shape, but it's not a matter of sleeping position but whether parents give their infants enough playtime while awake to let the head shape develop naturally.
Peng Chun-chih emphasized that parents must not change the sleeping position for the sake of the infant's head shape. Common but high-risk caregiving myths like 'prone sleeping is better' or 'side sleeping to prevent spitting up' increase the risk of suffocation and sleep-related death. (Editor: Chang Ya-ching) 1150514