human
Can you tell me what is a cleft palate?
assistant
A cleft palate is a type of birth defect that affects the roof of the mouth. It can cause speech and feeding problems. The roof of the mouth is made up of several layers of tissue, including the hard palate, soft palate, and uvula. In a cleft palate, the two sides of the roof of the mouth do not join together properly during development. This causes a gap in the roof of the mouth, which can affect speech, eating, and hearing.