Objective To evaluate the clinical effect of traditio nal Chinese medica l（TCM）

western medical（WM） and integrated traditional and western medical（IT WM） therapies for popular type of hand foot and mouth disease（HFMD）.Methods To tally 837 infants with popular type of HFMD from 12 centers across China were in volved in the research.Clinical cohort study was performed and the patients wer e divided into the TCM group

WM group and ITWM group.TCM granules for clearing heat

resolving toxin

eliminating dampness and out-thrusting evils were admin istered to 409 patients in the TCM group.The symptomatic and antiviral therapy w as administered to 124 patients in the WM group.The combined therapy was admini stered to 304 patients in the ITWM group.The course of treatment lasted for 7 d ays.The time of pyretolysis

body temperature recovery

herpes regress

pharyng algia alleviation and extinction

non-specificity symptoms relief in the three g roups was observed and compared.Results The total effe ctive rate of the TCM gro up

WM group and ITWM group was 99.8%

100% and 100% respectively

the differenc e between was no statistically significant（P>0.05）.The pyretolysis time betwe en groups was no significantly different（P>0.05）.The time of body temper ature recovery in the TCM group and WM group was significantly shorter than that in t he ITWM group（P<0.05 or P<0.01）.The time of herpes regress in the T CM group w as significantly shorter than that in the WM group and ITWM group（P<0.01）.The time of pharyngalgia alleviation and extinction in the TCM group was significant ly earlier than that in the ITWM group（P<0.01）.The time of non-specifici ty sym ptoms relief in the ITWM group was significantly earlier than that in the TCM gr oup and WM group（P<0.01）

but it was significantly earlier in the TCM grou p tha n that in the WM group（P<0.01）.Conclusion Three therapies are all effective for HFMD

especially TCM therapy.