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Background: Apgar score is an established index of neonatal well-being and development. Nutrition during pregnancy is an accepted risk factor for neonatal low Apgar score. Objective: To investigate the association between dietary diversity score and low Apgar score. Methods: This was a hospital based cross-sectional study. The study participants were 420 mothers who delivered and were attending the postnatal clinic at the Cape Coast Metropolitan Hospital. Mothers' dietary information during pregnancy was assessed with a food frequency questionnaire. In reference to the FAOs women's Dietary Diversity Score (DDS), the subjects were categorized into low, medium or high DDS. The primary outcome was Apgar score. Apgar scores < 5 were classified as low. Results: The mean age (± standard deviation, SD) of subjects was 26.7 ± 5.7 years with a range of 17 to 45 years. The prevalence of low Apgar score among the study population was 16.9%. Majority of the study participants had a low DDS in relation to low Apgar score whereas 7.5% had high DDS. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, the odds of low Apgar score in the low DDS group was three times higher than those who had high DDS (Adjusted odds ratio, AOR= 3.10, 95% confidence interval, CI=1.23-4.48). Conclusion: Dietary diversity score during pregnancy was associated with a low Apgar score in the study area. The results of this study reinforce the significance of adequate nutrition during pregnancy in the study area.

At trace concentrations, selenium (Se) has been shown to exert positive effects on plant growth, but Se essentiality to higher plants remains in doubt. Plants can absorb Se from the soil in inorganic or organic forms, but the cycling and bioavailability of organic Se in the manure-soil-plant system remain to be fully understood. This study investigated the effects of pig manure composting on the growth and Se accumulation in Lolium perenne L. (cv. Riikka) at different growth stages. A pot experiment with silica sand amended with Se-enriched mineral fertilizer (NPK-Se), dried, ground pig manure (PM) and pig manure compost (PMC) at 200 mg N kg-1 soil was carried out under controlled greenhouse conditions. Addition of NPK-Se, PM and PMC significantly (p ≤ 0.05) increased dry matter content in the stems and roots, on average, by 28 and 19% respectively. Inorganic (NPK-Se) and organic (PM and PMC) treatments slightly increased net photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, transpiration and leaf area in plants. Inorganic Se (NPK-Se) markedly increased Se content in the shoots, on average, by 35% at all growth stages. Even though Se concentration in the roots was 3-fold higher in pig manure (PM and PMC) fertilized-plants, translocation to the shoots was reduced. Interestingly, Se concentration in the shoots was higher in PMC-plants compared to PM-plants at all growth stages. However, the effect of composting on Se concentration was not significant. Overall, the results indicate that composting improves the fertilizer value of pig manure with possible stimulatory effects on organic-Se mineralization.