Research Landscape and Emerging Trends in Herbal Medicine for Pediatric Respiratory Tract Infections: A CiteSpace-Based Bibliometric Analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are a common concern in pediatric healthcare. Although extensive literature exists on the use of herbal medicine for pediatric RTIs, no bibliometric analysis has been conducted to date. This study aims to employ bibliometric methods to evaluate the current research landscape in this field and to guide future investigations. METHODS: We systematically retrieved literature on herbal medicine for pediatric RTIs from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). After screening according to predefined eligibility criteria, 108 articles published between January 2002 and December 2024 were included in the bibliometric analysis using CiteSpace. RESULTS: Publications in this field have shown fluctuating growth over time. China and Germany emerged as the top contributing countries, with Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and Wolfgang Kamin being the most productive institution and author, respectively. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews published the highest number of papers, while the Journal of Ethnopharmacology received the most citations. Research themes primarily focused on the efficacy, safety, and mechanisms of herbal medicine for pediatric RTIs. Key findings highlighted Pelargonium sidoides as the most extensively studied herb, acute bronchitis as the predominant condition, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) as the main pathogen, and the toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) signaling pathway as a pivotal therapeutic target. Recent studies have identified network pharmacology and nanoparticle biosynthesis as promising areas for future research in this field. CONCLUSION: This study provides a comprehensive overview of herbal medicine for pediatric RTIs. Research in this field is still in its developmental stage. There is a pressing need for enhanced international collaboration to facilitate high-quality research that can further uncover the therapeutic potential of herbal medicine.