Resumen:Experience in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU) alters development. Of the 4.3 million annual births in the US, 12.7% are premature; of these, 30% were intrauterine growth restricted (IUGR). IUGR preterms show increased mortality and morbidity, along with brain changes and developmental disabilities (>50%). The Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program (NIDCAP)6 reduces neurodevelopmental NICU sequelae, which was demonstrated in randomized controlled trials. This study hypothesized that severely IUGR preterms (<5% in weight and head circumference for gestational age (GA)) receiving NIDCAP (experimental, E) show better neurobehavior, electrophysiology and brain structure than those receiving standard care (control, C).