BALTIMORE -- It will be quite a holiday for one family whose child was born with club feet. Because of the Ponseti method, 11-month-old Luke Allen is ready to take his first steps without surgery.

Had it not been for the expertise of a Baltimore doctor, the deformity would have surely required extensive foot surgery, WBAL-TV in Baltimore reported.

When Luke was born last January, his parents weren't sure what was in store because he was born with two club feet -- they were turned in and down at birth.

"It was a very long eight days because we were scared to see your child's feet like that. It was emotional," Luke's mom Sarah Teigue said.

But at eight days old, Luke was referred to Dr. John Herzenberg at Mount Sinai Hospital. Herzenberg is one of few doctors who performs the Ponseti method instead of complicated foot surgery.

The Ponseti method involves having babies wear a series of casts that gently reshapes their feet during their first few months.

"We're after the opposite the feet were way turned in when he was born, and now they're turned out, the way they're supposed to be," Herzenberg said.

What's the advantage over extensive surgery?

"By not doing surgery, you have less stiff feet and better strength. The feet that have been operated on with the extensive surgery are typically stiff and painful when they get older," Herzenberg said.

Luke is currently out of the casts, but he needs to wear a brace at night for at least one more year or he will relapse. But his mom said that's no big deal to have a baby with healthy feet.

"He can stand on his own and he tries to take a step and he falls, so he'll be walking pretty soon I think," she said.

And what's on the list for Luke's Christmas presents? Lots of shoes.

Additional Resource:

• More about the Ponseti method