According to the Daily Mail, the debate began May 12 when Mumsnet user Dakin1 asked fellow community members whether they would leave a sleeping 10-month-old alone at home for seven minutes.

"Baby reliably naps at the same time every day for at least an hour," she added. "The 7 minutes is going to a shop to collect something approx 50m away."

>> What do you think? Weigh in with our poll