The nurse is giving an intramuscular injection of an antibiotic to a 16-month-old toddler with pneumonia. The toddler does not have any known allergies and has been walking without assistance for one month. Which technique should the nurse select for administration?

Administer the injection into the middle of the lateral aspect of the thigh is the correct choice. This is the recommended site for intramuscular injection in toddlers who have been walking for at least one month, as it is a large muscle with minimal nerves and blood vessels. Choices A, B, and D are not appropriate techniques for administering an intramuscular injection to a toddler with pneumonia.