Trend analysis of family-centered care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU): a bibliometric study

Abstract

The study focuses on the analysed trends in FCC practices in NICUs and their effects on neonatal and family outcomes.Material and Methods: This study conducted a bibliometric analysis of 1,198 peer-reviewed articles from the Scopus database .Publication, citation, H index, and keyword analysis were used to track research developments.Research themes were identified using co-citation analysis and bibliometric mapping (VOSViewer) tools to identify intellectual connections and institutional contributions.Results: The number of publications by FCC in NICUs (2000-2025) was analysed, and 1,198 publications were found, with the U.S. (2,208), Canada (555), and the UK (250) in corresponding order.With 28 articles, Axeln A is the leading author, and the University of Turku is the leading affiliation (Affiliation with 64 publications).Female (1,163) and infant (799) are the most frequent keywords.From 95 articles, Advances in Neonatal Care emerges as the leading source of information.Discussion: The results of this study reiterate the growing importance of Family Centered Care (FCC) in NICUs, key contributors, institutions, and journals.FCC improves neonatal outcomes and family well-being while recognizing the need for global collaboration.