UNITED STATES — A recent social media trend, dubbed the Egg Crack Challenge, has parents filming themselves cracking an egg on their children’s head for laughs and views. 

While some have found the videos a source of entertainment, not everyone is a fan of the videos, with some experts warning against the seemingly benign TikTok trend.

WHAT IS THE EGG CRACK CHALLENGE?

The hashtag #eggcrackchallenge has more than 77.4 million views as of Monday (Sept 4), with some videos receiving over millions of views. The viral prank has predominantly gained traction within the United States.

The challenge involves parents cracking an egg on an unsuspecting toddler’s forehead, eliciting various unscripted reactions. 

Reactions caught on camera range from confusion — “Ouch that hurt," one child said — to dismay — “That wasn’t very nice,” another said. Some react in good humour and laugh along while others shed tears as their parents laugh at the side. 

Some online users have found the videos to be “fun” and hilarious, but others chided parents for taking part in the trend.

Popular parenting content creator Rachel Griffin Accurso, known online as "Ms Rachel", spoke out against the challenge: “We need to be mindful that we’re not causing any physical or emotional discomfort.”

In a video posted last month, she said: “Little ones feel safe and secure when they can trust their parents and we don’t want to lose that trust.”

Another parenthood content creator named Sarah, who runs social media account "mom.uncharted" dedicated to addressing child exploitation on social media, said that she has been tagged in a few of the videos.

"I've seen it go two ways," she said. "One, the kid gets the egg on the head and they're kind of confused, thrown off, thinks it's a little funny. Then they move on.

"Or, they get the egg cracked on the head and they're really upset about it and they freak out.

"But when I see those videos, I think, are we that bored as parents and desperate for content?" 

MEDICAL EXPERTS WARN OF RISKS

Doctors and experts warned that taking part in such a trend might put children at the risk of emotional harm and getting infected by the salmonella bacteria. 

Dr Meghan Martin, a paediatric emergency medical physician and TikTok creator, told American news outlet NBC News: “We’re literally smacking salmonella on their foreheads.”

She cautioned that children with salmonella can end up in the hospital needing intravenous fluids.

Raw eggs can be contaminated with salmonella, which can be especially dangerous to children below the age of five years, the United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated.

Symptoms of salmonella food poisoning can include diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fever, nausea and vomiting.

Dr Martin's advice is echoed by other medical experts, who are urging parents to think twice before taking part in the Egg Crack Challenge.

Ms Cath Knibbs, a British child trauma psychotherapist, told The Washington Post: “We’re talking about abuse disguised as having a bit of a laugh.

“It’s not just the cracking of the egg; it’s the parents’ responses of laughing. By children, that’s experienced as humiliation. It’s experienced as a lack of trust.”

Ms Amanda Mathers, a paediatric occupational therapist, also posted a warning against the trend on TikTok last month. 

“The absence of response and supportive care I noticed in many videos when a young child is communicating that they are hurt, embarrassed and upset can affect the formation of the developing brain, impairing later learning and behaviour,” she said.

“Short term, a child may lose that deep trust in the comfort of their parents.”