ObjectiveTo evaluate clinical and laboratory features of children with severe handfootandmouth disease(HFMD).MethodsData of 80 severe HFMD patients diagnosed and treated in a hospital from March to October 2010 were analyzed retrospectively, and compared with 98 mild HFMD cases over the same period of hospitalization.ResultsOf 80 severe HFMD children, the average age were (18.52±3.23) months, 70 (87.50%) were<3 years old; all patients had fever,36 cases (45.00%) were with persisten high fever; 10 (12.50%) were with severe pneumonia,70 (87.50%) had nervous system damage,42 (52.50%) had increase in blood pressure ; 73 (91.25%) were with positive enterovirus 71; average peripheral blood white blood cell count were (14.24±3.87)×109/L, average blood glucose were (8.45±1.21) mmol/L; 71 cases (88.75%) had increased enzyme CKMB, the average value of CKMB were (69.71±18.26) IU/L, there were significant difference compared with mild cases (P<0.01). ConclusionSevere HFMD children can easily develop persistent high fever, and nervous system damage. HFMD children with small age, long course of fever, sleepiness, high white blood cell count, hyperglycemia, and hypertension are more prone to become severe HFMD and should be paid attention.