EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – Drowning is responsible for more deaths among children ages 1  to 4 more than any other cause besides birth defects, and most drownings occur in home swimming pools, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Twenty-month-old Kaia Barrett takes a swimming classes once a week with her dad Jeff Burke at The Plunge in El Segundo. This weekly bonding has been happening since she was only six months old.

“We’ve really enjoyed the time together and it’s a special time in the week for me because I get to spend time with her in an activity where it’s really just the two of us,” said Burke.

Each class they take is in a group and instructed by Matt Harrigan, who founded Swimming LA. Many parents come to Harrigan’s swim school for water safety.

Despite the data, Harrigan likes to educate parents on the intellectual benefits that happens in their children from swimming lessons, as opposed highlighting the fear of drowning.

“I think it also helps prepare kid’s brains for school and the earlier you start your baby in the water, you’re actually making them more intelligent,” said Harrigan.

The idea behind starting kids in the water at a young age is based on findings from a four-year-long study from swim schools in Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S. The study found that children under the age of five, involved in swimming lessons, were anywhere from six to 15 months ahead of the normal population when it came to cognitive skills, problem solving in math, counting, language, and following instructions.

“I can definitely tell when she’s starting to remember patterns of activity like ‘okay I’ve learned to kick my feet and I’m going to kick my feet again,’” said Burke.

At 20-months-old, with a year and a half of experience under her belt, Kaia’s confidence shines through. She can go underwater and hold her breath, but her favorite thing it seems is the slide.

“This idea that I can go in and out of the water on my belly or on my back down a slide has been the most fun for her,” said Burke.

As her comfort in the water continues at a young age, it is helping to develop her mind and keep her safe.

“Newborns can learn how to hold their breath for several seconds at a time and sometimes several seconds is a matter of life and death,” said Harrigan.