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The Fontan is a complex surgical procedure used as a palliative treatment for children with univentricular hearts. In the past, the mortality rate was high and the associated comorbidities as a result of the Fontan circulation were many. However, as research into the condition developed, better understanding has led to a massive reduction in early mortality and a rapidly increasing population of such patients surviving well into adulthood. This has led to a large surge in patients with congenital heart disease being referred for cardiac transplant assessment. According to research, listing these patients at the optimal time is the key to improving transplant outcomes. However, determining that optimal time is unclear and controversial. In this article, I address this issue by developing an optimal timing rule that accounts for the factors faced by specialist cardiologists in determining when transplant ought to be considered for this cohort of patients.

The location and identification of archival sources for research in child welfare is complicated because of their diversity and lack of uniformity, but various access points are available. These include social welfare histories, documentary histories, annotated bibliographies, directories of archives, journal articles, oral histories, social agencies, abstracts, indexes, reference guides, and electronic services. The advice of colleagues and librarians can also be sought in identifying and selecting archival sources for the purpose of research.