BACKGROUND: The objective of Developmental Centered Care (DCC) is to favor the neurosensorial and emotional development of the newborn and to decrease the stress associated to neonatal care and the pain related to diagnostic tests and invasive treatments.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the implementation extent of the DCC in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) in Mexico.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross sectional, observational and descriptive study. A questionnaire focused on DCC was sent via online to personnel working in NICUs that attend more than 50 children weighting less than 1.500 gr every year.

RESULTS: A total of 39 NICUs were studied: 31% use covers as a mean of protection from light, 10% use methods of noise measurement, 36% employ pain assessment scales. The access of the parents to the units is 2-3 hours per day (56%); 13% of the units have a room exclusively for parents available inside the unit, and 36% allow the Kangaroo Care Method to be performed.

CONCLUSION: A lack of strategies is noted to raise the coverage of these care methods in the NICUs, to improve the education of the parents respecting the measures used in this program, and to achieve that the DCC is applied in every region due to its low cost and great benefit.