The purpose of this study was to evaluate the dietary caffeine and dimethylxanthine concentrations in breast milk of 40 mothers from different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Their diets and drug intake were not restricted in any way. Each nursing mother provided a fasting and a combined breast-milk sample each day for 3 consecutive days. No significant differences were found in intake levels of any of the methylxanthines among the groups tested. No significant differences were found among the four groups in breast-milk levels of caffeine, theobromine, or paraxanthine. However, the mean theophylline milk levels were significantly higher on 2 of the 3 days examined in Anglo-American woman compared to Hispanic-American women. Socioeconomic and ethnic variables were also compared among the four groups. The daily amounts of methylxanthines found in the breast milk of this free-living population of mothers do not appear to present clinically significant amounts to the infant.