The present invention relates to the treatment of subjects in order to reduce the incidence and or severity of allergic disease and/or manifestations in subjects during (early) childhood. The present inventors have found that the administration of certain non-digestible oligosaccharides, especially lc-FOS and/or sc-GOS, during infancy, as secondary intervention in subjects who develop allergy, especially atopic dermatitis, produces a reduction in the incidence and/or severity of allergic disease and/or manifestations later in life, i.e. far beyond the intervention period. Hence, one aspect of the present invention concerns a the treatment of an infant that develops allergy or atopic dermatitis before the age of 6 months, for reducing the incidence of allergic diseases and/or manifestation in said individual during (early) childhood, said treatment comprising administering a composition comprising non-digestible oligosaccharides to said infant.
