Addiction in breastfeeding mothers: a bibliometric analysis

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background Babies of mothers who are addicted during breastfeeding may be deprived of the most valuable nutrient, breast milk. This study was conducted to demonstrate the addiction characteristics of breastfeeding mothers from a bibliometric perspective. We believe that the results will guide health professionals about breastfeeding in addicted mothers. Methods The research was carried out using publications identified in the Web of Science database. The database used during the study was searched in December 2022. Bibliometric analysis was performed with a total of 139 studies. Results The publication dates were between 1991–2022, and the mean age of publication was 7.37. Regarding the countries of the top 10 most active first authors on addiction and breastfeeding, more than half (53.9%) were from the United States. Studies discussed the subject of “breastfeeding” mostly together with “pregnancy” and “neonatal abstinence syndrome.” In addition, “substance abuse, alcoholism and cannabis” oriented the field, and “smoking” was a more developed but isolated theme. “Toxicology, qualitative study, longitudinal study, adolescence, weaning” were isolated or emerging topics. Conclusion Considering these results, we can suggest working in cooperation with leading researchers in the field, increasing the number of publications worldwide, and conducting studies on smoking in breastfeeding mothers.