Abstract
Introduction
This study aimed to examine important points of focus, trends, and depth of research on non-pharmacological interventions for the management of labor pain worldwide from a macro perspective and present an extensive definition of research fields regarding non-pharmacological interventions.
Methods
Bibliometric methods were used in this study. With comprehensive keyword lists, the Web of Science and PubMed databases were searched using different screening strategies for publications made until 25 February 2023.
Results
Studies on non-pharmacological interventions in the management of labor pain have continued to develop since 2003 with great momentum. In this study, the most productive country in research on non-pharmacological interventions was found to be Iran, while Australia, the USA, China, and the United Kingdom were the most notable ones in terms of collaboration. The most prevalently studied non-pharmacological interventions were hydrotherapy and acupuncture. The results of the co-word analysis revealed 5 main themes about this field of research.
Conclusion
The results of this study showed that interest in studies on non-pharmacological interventions in the management of labor pain has increased, the quality of research in the field is high, international collaboration is increasingly higher, and technological approaches have started to emerge in relevant studies.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Data availability statement
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, upon reasonable request.