20/200 vision in 6yr old

[marjsmith03]

My daughter has been in good health and has no developmental issues.  Last year she was examined by an eye doctor at...well let's just say a retail store.  Her vision was said to be ok, but not perfect.  The dr said that she needed glasses for reading and school.  She broke them and we couldn't afford to replace them.  

She was just checked again this year...almost 18 months later and I'm told that her vision is now 20/200 in both eyes!!  The dr didn't seem very concerned with this, but I am really concerned.  Any ideas what could be causing such a fast deterioration in vision?  She is only 6 years old.  She doesn't complain of headache or anything.  The only reason I got her checked again was because the school said that she failed the vision test they do there and needed to be seen.  Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks to all,
Marjorie

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Children do change fast at her age and she couldeasily have become mypic in that period of time.  An Ophthalmologist is a MD physician, an OD optometrist is not a physician, has not been to medical school, no internship, no residency.

JCH IIII MD

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[marjsmith03]

Thanks for the info.  I'll check into it some more.

[marjsmith03]

She is near sighted and it is corrected with glasses.  I too her to an optometrist at a retail store last year, and one with his own office this time.  He is an OD.  To be honest, I really don't know much about the difference in eye care professionals.  She didn't wear her glasses she was given at the retail place because she broke them shortly after getting them.  I just can't believe the big change in her vision over 18 months.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Is your daugher near-sighted? What is her vision with glasses? Did you go back to the retail place where they push glasses? Hope not. She needs to see a physician-Eye MD  Find one at www.aao.org.

Comparison studies have shown that Eye MDs are significantly less likely to prescribe glasses than optometrists especially retail optoms.

JCH III MD