Many people don't know Daisy Goodwin's name. While she's edited poetry books and been a TV presenter and produced television series, outside of those industries in which she works few could conjure up her name. But if you're a parent, you might consider Goodwin one of the most influential people of the past year.

Her work has been attacked as "dangerous" and "exploitative". She was the producer behind the Bringing Up Baby series on Channel 4. Which is to say, she was Claire Verity's executive producer.

Discussions raged around the show, which ran in autumn 2007, and featured the controversial maternity nurse who advocated rigid methods that include leaving babies to cry and putting them outside every day. Also on the show were Claire Scott, an advocate of attachment-style parenting, and Dreena Hamilton, who suggests a method more influenced by Dr Spock and the idea of understanding your child.

Alphamummy, the Times parenting blog, caught up with Goodwin at a roundtable discussion in Cambridge in December. Parenting experts, including Dream Babies author Christina Hardyment and Dr Ellie Lee from the Parenting Culture Studies Group, met to discuss Bringing Up Baby: Parenting, Expertise and the Media.

Should you let your baby cry?

Parents face often conflicting advice on how to bring up a baby. Sarah Vine talks to three experts who all believe they’re right

• Seven top questions...and the experts’ answers

Background

• The bitchy inflexible world of baby-gurus

• The mother of all child-rearing battles

• Maternity expert asked to stay away from show

• Avoid the nursery wars

The discussion ranged from the glut of parenting advice - there are more childcare manuals sold in this country than live babies born - to how children are expected to reflect on their parents (too much, attendees maintained).

Click on the video above to see Goodwin discuss her controversial TV show.

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