Objective To systematically review the research status, hotspots, and development trends in the field of discharge readiness services for preterm infants over the past six years.

Methods Core journal literature on discharge readiness services for preterm infants published in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data, VIP Information, and the Web of Science Core Collection from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2024, was retrieved. Visual analysis was conducted using CiteSpace 6.2. R3 software.

Results A bibliometric analysis was performed on 412 relevant articles published in 57 journals by 139 institutions across 55 countries/regions, encompassing 136 domestic and 276 international articles. From 2019 to 2024, the number of publications in this fieldstabilized both domestically and internationally. Domestic research hotspots focused on family-centered care, parents, low birth weight, transitional care, and discharge readiness. The primary research subjectswere preterm infants and their families, with research frontiers involving transitional care and discharge readiness services.

Conclusion This study systematically reveals differences in research on discharge readiness services for preterm infants between China and other countries through bibliometric analysis, highlighting issues of academic isolation (centrality=0) and insufficient localization in China. It emphasizes the need to address culturally specific care needs and enhance service continuity through strengthened medical-social system collaboration. A "hospital-com munity-family" tripartite framework for discharge readiness services in China is recommended to be established, with a focus on strengthening medical-social system collaboration and addressing culturally specific needs such as intergenerational parenting.