Objective To better understand the care needs of primary caregivers for discharged preterm infants, so as to provide a reference for offering targeted care services. Methods A descriptive qualitative study was designed,and an interview outline was developed based on the ERG demand theory, then a purposive sampling of 25 primary caregivers of preterm infants discharged within 6 months from a tertiary hospital in Hubei Province were selected and conducted semi-structured interviews from October to November 2023, selected by purposive sampling. A thematic analysis method was applied to analyze the interview data. Results The participants′ care needs can be categorized into three themes: survival needs (knowledge and skills for daily care, skills for identifying and managing abnormalities, and developmental care needs), relationship needs (support from the professional team, social team, and family), and growth needs (needs for role adjustment and role recognition). Conclusion After the discharge of preterm infants from hospitals, the care needs of their primary caregivers are special and diverse, and effective support should be provided to meet the care needs of caregivers, so as to reduce their care burden and improve their quality of care.