Breastfeeding and Father Support: Bibliometric Analysis.

AIM: The objective of this study is to analyse the academic literature on paternal support during breastfeeding using bibliometric methods and to identify research trends, influential institutions, countries, and journals in this field.

METHODS

The Web of Science database was used to collect articles published between 1989 and June 30, 2025, concerning paternal support during breastfeeding. All titles were screened to ensure they met the inclusion criteria, and English titles were considered a primary requirement. A total of 517 articles met the inclusion criteria. The study data were analysed using the open-source R Studio software and the "biblioshiny for bibliometrix" package, an R software tool.

RESULTS

The study's data consists of 458 articles, including 47 reviews, six conference abstracts, three presentations, one correction, and one piece of editorial material. The most notable increase in scientific publications on breastfeeding and father support occurred between 2016 and 2021. The journals with the most publications in this field were the International Breastfeeding Journal, Journal of Human Lactation, Maternal and Child Nutrition, and Midwifery. The most productive countries were the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The article titled "Incorporating Recognition and Management of Perinatal and Postpartum Depression Into Pediatric Practice" tops the list with the highest total number of citations, receiving 379 citations.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights recent trends and key institutions in paternal support during breastfeeding through bibliometric analysis, contributing to existing knowledge and guiding future research and practice.