Objective To explore the effect of breathing exercise on oral feeding readiness of premature infants. Methods A total of 96 preterm infants were divided into two groups of 48 cases each according to the time of admission. The control group received routine intervention, while the intervention group additionally received breathing exercise invented by the researchers. Results The non-nutritive sucking scores of the intervention group were significantly higher than those of the control group at 10 days and 15 days into the intervention (P<0.01 for both). The indwelling time of gastric tube, transition time from oral feeding to full oral feeding in the intervention group were significantly shorter than those in the control group (P<0.01 for both). Conclusion Breathing exercise in premature infants can improve oral feeding readiness, and speed up oral feeding process.