The invention relates to an infant or adult diaper. More particularly, the invention relates to an infant or adult diaper (10) having a longitudinal centerline (Y) and a lateral centerline (X) perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline (Y), wherein the diaper (10) comprises a topsheet (22) and a backsheet (24) and positioned therein between an absorbent core (20), and a first longitudinally extending elastic cuff (30a) and second longitudinally extending elastic cuff (30b), the first and the second elastic cuff (30a, 30b) being positioned on either longitudinal side of the topsheet (22) and opposing each other, and wherein the diaper (10) has a crotch region (B), positioned in between a front region (A) and a back region (C) and the first and the second longitudinally extending elastic cuff (30a, 30b) each have a crotch region (B), positioned in between a front region (A) and a back region (C), these regions of the longitudinally extending elastic cuffs (30a, 30b) being positioned in the respective regions of the diaper (10), and the first longitudinally extending elastic cuff (30a) and the second longitudinally extending elastic cuff (30b) each have a proximal edge (32a, 32b), at which the respective longitudinally extending elastic cuff is attached to the diaper and the first longitudinally extending elastic cuff (30a) and the second longitudinally extending elastic cuff (30b) each have a distal edge (34a, 34b), at least the crotch region (B) of which is not attached to the diaper (10) and forms a free flap (38a, 38b) and wherein the diaper (10) comprises a barrier element (70) arranged in the crotch region (B), the barrier element (70) comprising at least a wall element (76) and bridge element (72), the barrier element (70) extending in three dimensions such that it has a shape in the longitudinal plane of the diaper, the shape being symmetrical about at least one transversal plane..
