Absorbent members having skewed density profile

An absorbent member comprising a unitary wetlaid absorbent fibrous layer comprising at least about 95 percent cellulose fibers per weight of the absorbent fibrous layer, said absorbent fibrous layer having a first surface, a second surface, a length extending in an X-direction, a width extending in a Y-direction, and a Z-direction thickness, wherein the thickness of the absorbent fibrous layer can be divided into a range of distances measured through its thickness from 0% at its first surface to 100% of the distance through its thickness at its second surface, and the length and width of the absorbent fibrous layer define an area, wherein at least a 7.2×7 2 mm square area of the absorbent fibrous layer has an average density, and a density profile through its thickness comprising a location having a maximum density, a location having a minimum density, a mean maximum density, and a mean minimum density, said absorbent fibrous layer comprising a relatively higher density zone disposed in the Z-direction adjacent to a relatively lower density outer zone of the layer, wherein:

• a) the maximum density of the layer is located outside of the central 20% zone of the thickness of the layer;
• and
• b) the mean maximum density measurement through the thickness of the layer is at least about 1.2 times the mean density of the layer measured at one of the outer zones of the layer that are:
• (1) between 5% to 15%;
• and (2) between 85% and 95% of the thickness of the layer.