Objective To study ethanolinduced the neuroapoptosis of visual cortex in offspring mice. Methods Pregnant female mice were fed by intubating alcohol daily, beginning on E5 (embryonic, E) and continuing through the pup’s birth. The neuroapoptosis in P0, P7 and P14 visual cortex was visualized by Caspase-3 activity immunohistochemistry and Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotindUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. Results Usually, the pup’s birth days would delay one or two days after ethanol exposure. Moreover, ethanol induced reabsorption of fetus and malformations, such as microcephaly, anencephaly and myeloschisis with spinabifida and so on, were found in the study. Apoptosis index in ethanol treatment groups was obviously higher than that in control at either P0, P7 or P14 (P<0.001). In the meantime, high ethanol dose group had a higher apoptosis index than that of low dose ethanol group (P<0.01). Conclusion The prenatal ethanol exposure could induce neuroapoptosis of visua