Infant choking awareness campaign encourages parents, caregivers and whānau to learn life-saving skills

New Zealand Red Cross is partnering with AA Life Insurance to raise awareness of infant choking risks and encourage parents, caregivers, teachers and whānau to take part in their First Aid for Parents and Caregivers course. Infant choking is a significant fear for parents and caregivers, yet many lack the confidence to respond effectively in an emergency.

Children and infants require different first aid techniques than adults, and the nation-wide course provides the child-specific skills that matter most to parents and caregivers, including infant CPR and choking response techniques, in a supportive environment designed with whānau in mind. Attendees of the four-hour course also receive a New Zealand Red Cross First Aid for Parents and Caregivers Attendance Certificate.

Carol Gardiner, New Zealand Red Cross Director of First Aid, says the partnership with AA Life Insurance provides greater visibility of the wide range of first aid courses offered by the 110-year-old organisation.

"Our Parents and Caregivers course equips parents, caregivers, and whanau with practical skills and the confidence to act in an emergency,” Ms Gardiner says. “Knowing what to do in those critical moments can make a life-saving difference for an infant or child." 

This collaborative approach follows the success of the New Zealand Red Cross and AA Life Insurance Child Car Seat Safety campaign.

"AA Life Insurance wants to help more Kiwi navigate life's unexpected moments and protect the people they love most,” says Nasreen Morgan, Senior Product Manager – AA Life Insurance.

"We're proud to continue our partnership with the New Zealand Red Cross and support a campaign that provides families, caregivers and teachers with practical first aid advice and potentially life-saving tips," Morgan adds.

Readers of AA Directions magazine, which reaches more than 800,000 New Zealanders, can follow a first-person account of attending the First Aid for Parents and Caregivers course. In addition, the first 2,000 course attendees will receive a fridge magnet outlining the key steps to follow if an infant is choking.

AA Life Insurance is also offering a $100 Prezzy Card* to new customers who take out Life Cover, Income Protection Cover, and Serious Illness Cover after completing the course. AA Life Insurance will also continue to offer its customers discounted rates on New Zealand Red Cross first aid courses, as well as first aid kits available through the AA Online Shop.

"We're encouraging AA Life Insurance customers and AA Members to build their confidence through Red Cross first aid training, take advantage of the Member Benefit discount, and ensure their household is prepared with a well-stocked first aid kit," says Morgan.

The awareness campaign launched Monday 12 October and will be promoted across both organisations' websites and marketing channels, including AA Directions magazine.

To learn more about the First Aid for Parents and Caregivers course and to book online, visit www.aalife.co.nz or www.redcross.org.nz/first-aid.

About New Zealand Red Cross

New Zealand Red Cross is one of the largest providers of First Aid training in Aotearoa New Zealand, training approximately 70,000 people each year. 

In addition to building resilience through first aid skills in our communities, New Zealand Red Cross first aid training programmes generate valuable income for our humanitarian work. Funds raised from our courses and products help support the delivery of Red Cross programmes helping people in need across Aotearoa New Zealand.

As part of the global Red Cross movement, Red Cross trains over 12 million people worldwide each year. When you learn with us, you're gaining skills backed by international best practice.

About AA Life Insurance

For over 120 years, the AA has been there in the moments that move us forward - a first car, a new house, a growing family, and a career on the rise. Every one of those moments carries a financial weight: a risk to protect or an opportunity to grow. Through our range of financial services, we’re empowering all Kiwi with choices through life’s journey. AA Life Insurance is simple to understand, easy to get and built for real life – with cover combinations to suit your needs, including Life, Income Protection, Serious Illness, Cancer Care and Funeral cover.

AA Life Insurance policies are distributed by the New Zealand Automobile Association (Incorporated) (AA) and underwritten by Asteron Life Limited