According to the NCERT text, amniocentesis involves taking amniotic fluid to analyse fetal cells and dissolved substances. It is used to test for the presence of genetic disorders such as Down syndrome, haemophilia, and sickle-cell anemia. While the technique can determine sex (based on chromosomal patterns), which has led to a statutory ban to prevent female foeticide, it is designed for chromosomal and metabolic analysis. Cleft palate is a structural or morphological abnormality typically detected via ultrasound scanning, not by the chromosomal analysis performed in amniocentesis.