Absorbent article with liquid shrinkable elements

An absorbent article comprising a liquid permeable top layer, a liquid impermeable back layer, and a liquid retentive absorbent member interposed between said top layer and said back layer,

• wherein said absorbent member includes an absorbent sheet having a thickness of 0.3 mm to 5 mm, and said absorbent sheet is arranged to form an absorbent barrier cuff which is disposed at the central portion of said top layer in the widthwise direction thereof, the entire surface of said absorbent sheet is overlaid with said top layer and said absorbent sheet and said top layer are folded integrally into an overlaying serpentine configuration at folding portions extending in the transverse direction of said absorbent article so that fold lines are created in the longitudinal direction of said absorbent article, thereby providing said barrier cuff, and said barrier cuff has a height of 1 to 30 mm, and is provided with elastic members inside each side edge of said barrier cuff and extending in the longitudinal direction of said barrier cuff such that said barrier cuff shrinks in the longitudinal direction over a prescribed length.