"Scientific trends of pharmacological methods in labor pain management: bibliometric analysis of epidural, spinal, and other approaches, 2000-2025".

OBJECTIVE

Labor pain management is a fundamental aspect of obstetric care. Pharmacological methods such as epidural and spinal analgesia are widely preferred in this process, but scientific productivity and trends regarding these approaches have not been sufficiently analyzed. The aim of this study was to provide a bibliometric assessment of the scientific profile in the field of pharmacological obstetric pain management by examining the literature published between 2000 and 2025.

METHODS

Web of Science Core Collection database was searched with the keywords "labour pain management," "childbirth pain," "labour analgesia," "obstetric analgesia," "epidural analgesia," "spinal anaesthesia," "pharmacological analgesia," and "pharmacological pain management." The distribution of publications by years, contributions by countries and institutions, collaboration networks, most cited studies, and journal distribution were analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 1,606 publications were analyzed. Scientific productivity in the field of epidural and spinal analgesia has increased significantly, especially after 2019. The vast majority of publications are based in the USA, the UK, and China. The most cited publications focus on the efficacy, safety, and complications of pharmacological methods. Collaboration maps indicate a multidisciplinary and international research network.

CONCLUSION

Pharmacological labor pain management literature reflects the current trends that guide clinical obstetric practice. When developing guidelines for the use of these methods in midwifery and obstetrics, qualitative aspects as well as the quantitative increase in the literature should be taken into account. Our study sheds light on the research gaps in this field and the research areas that can be focused on for the future.