Club foot in the Polynesian: an epidemiological survey.

The incidence of idiopathic club foot deformity in Polynesian peoples, including the New Zealand Maori, is higher than in other races. A study of 118 Polynesian children treated in Auckland for the condition, found no significant correlation among sex, maternal age and the presence or absence of a family history of club foot, and questions the validity of dividing index cases into two groups on the basis of family history. Previous observations of a significant predominance of right-sided deformity in unilateral Polynesian cases, were not confirmed.