Mapping global research on labor and postpartum pain management: a bibliometric analysis (2000–2025)

Labor and postpartum pain represent complex, multidimensional experiences shaped by physiological, psychological, and sociocultural factors. Effective pain management whether pharmacological (epidural analgesia) or non-pharmacological (acupuncture, massage) is integral to respectful maternity care and maternal well-being. Despite extensive clinical research, no comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the global scientific literature in this domain has been conducted. A bibliometric study was performed using data from the Web of Science Core Collection (2000–2025). The search strategy combined terms related to “labor or postpartum pain” and “analgesia, anesthesia, non-pharmacological interventions, or pain management.” Bibliometric indicators including co-authorship, co-citation, and keyword co-occurrence were analyzed using VOSviewer with fractional counting. Inclusion thresholds were: ≥5 documents and ≥50 citations per country, ≥30 occurrences per keyword, and ≥10 citations per cited source. Bibliometric indicators including co-authorship, co-citation, and keyword co-occurrence were analyzed using VOSviewer with fractional counting. Total link strength (sum of link strengths connecting a node to all others) served as the primary metric of collaborative influence and intellectual connectivity. Of the 80 countries identified, 36 were included in the visualization based on total link strength. The United States dominated in publications (n = 388), citations (5,412), and collaboration intensity (total link strength = 1,026), followed by the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. Thematic mapping revealed three core clusters: (1) psychological and physiological dimensions of pain, (2) pharmacological interventions (notably epidural analgesia), and (3) patient-centered, experiential care. High-impact journals spanned obstetrics (Obstetrics & Gynecology), anesthesiology (Anesthesia & Analgesia), and pain science (Pain). Low- and middle-income countries remained underrepresented despite bearing a disproportionate burden of maternal morbidity. This study maps the evolving, interdisciplinary landscape of labor and postpartum pain research and reveals persistent geographic, linguistic, and epistemic inequities. It underscores the need for equitable global research partnerships, inclusion of non-English literature, and context-sensitive, community-engaged approaches to ensure inclusive, respectful, and evidence-based pain management for all birthing individuals. Not applicable. Importantly, this article is based exclusively on a secondary analysis of publicly indexed scientific literature retrieved from the Web of Science main collection. This article does not involve any primary data collection, human subjects, animal experiments, or clinical interventions. Consequently, this study is exempt from ethical approval and no ethics committee approval was required or requested.