I've wondered the same thing. My guess is that it's because node is still pretty new, whereas most other popular languages have been around for a while and the "right" way to do things has already reached some consensus.
If you want your code to work in the future, you are ultimately responsible for your code and all of its dependencies. The less code, the better. (Although some libraries have earned a track record of dependability, projects and companies may be abandoned and you may need to pick up the slack)