An infant or adult diaper is disclosed. The diaper may have a pair of longitudinally extending elastic cuffs and a barrier element between the cuffs, which divides front and back portions of the diaper and may include a wall element, a first bridge element and a second bridge element, the first bridge element being positioned at a first level above a topsheet of the diaper, and the second bridge element being positioned at a second level above the topsheet. The bridge elements may serve to contribute structural integrity to the barrier element.
