Oral Stimulation Interventions in Neonatal Feeding and Swallowing: A Bibliometric Mapping of Research Trends : Neonatal Oral Stimulation: A Bibliometric Analysis.

Abstract

Oral stimulation techniques are frequently used in neonatal intensive care units to contribute to the development of oral feeding in newborns. Despite their widespread use in clinical practice, the conceptualisation and definition of these interventions vary considerably across the literature and interdisciplinary perspectives. This study aims to comprehensively map the scientific literature on oral stimulation in the neonatal population through bibliometric and scientific mapping. The publications to be analysed were identified in January 2026 using the advanced search interface of the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). Following language and document type filtering (English; journal articles), the records were manually reviewed to ensure that oral stimulation was the primary focus of the publications. As a result of the review, 151 documents published between 1983 and 2026 were included in the analysis. VOSviewer was used for keyword co-occurrence networks, thematic clusters, and density visualisations, while the Biblioshiny package was used for descriptive bibliometric indicators. The analysed dataset identified 91 sources, 639 contributing authors and a total of 3,114 citations. The findings indicate that publication activity remained limited until the mid-2000s, with a marked increase occurring after 2013 and reaching its highest levels in recent years. The most frequently cited studies generally concern oral stimulation programmes, non-nutritive sucking behaviours, and combined sensorimotor intervention approaches designed to facilitate the transition from tube feeding to oral feeding. Concept mapping has shown that the literature maintains a consistent thematic core focusing on preterm infants, oral feeding, and non-nutritive sucking. However, studies in recent years have placed greater emphasis on structured intervention protocols and clinically meaningful feeding outcomes. The analyses generally provide a comprehensive overview of how the literature on oral stimulation in newborns has evolved over time. The results highlight the structural characteristics of the literature and shifting research priorities. Furthermore, these findings provide a useful framework for future research on neonatal feeding development and swallowing difficulties.