Ellagic acid (EA) exerts, neuroprotective, mitoprotective, anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. We evaluated protective effect of EA on ethanol-induced fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). A total of 35 newborn male rats were used, divided into five groups, including; control (normal saline), ethanol (5.25 g/kg per day), ethanol (5.25 g/kg per day) + EA (10 mg/kg), ethanol (5.25 g/kg per day) + EA (20 mg/kg) and ethanol (5.25 g/kg per day) + EA (40 mg/kg). Thirty-six days after birth behavioral tests (Morris water maze and Elevated Plus Maze), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels, oxidative markers (malondialdehyde, glutathione and superoxide dismutase), mitochondrial examination such as succinate dehydrogenases (SDH) activity, mitochondrial swelling, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation were analyzed. The results revealed that ethanol exposure adversely affected cognitive and mitochondrial functions and as well as induced oxidative stress and inflammation in brain tissue. However, EA (20 and 40 mg/kg) administration effectively prevented the toxic effects of ethanol in FASD model. These findings demonstrate that ethanol application significantly impairs the brain development via mitochondrial dysfunction and induction of oxidative stress. These data indicate that EA might be a useful compound for prevention of alcohol-induced FASD.