HONG KONG - According to the Chinese dailies, Hong Kong actress Cecilia Cheung may have suffered a miscarriage.

Since the birth of her first son - Lucas, Cecilia has been a devoted homemaker. She was rumoured to be pregnant when Edison Chen sex photo scandal was brewing, but did not confirm the rumours.

During and after the scandal, husband Nicholas Tse has stood by her and they have been actively working on preserving their relationship and family. They were also very eager to have a second child.

According to Shin Min Daily News, Cecilia's sister-in-law revealed that Nicholas Tse had wanted a daughter. His father, Hong Kong actor Patrick Tse, also expressed that he wanted four grandchildren. Cecilia had stopped working to focus on her family commitments.

According to Hong Kong's Dongfang Xindi Weekly, Cecilia's second pregnancy has ended prematurely even before it has been officially announced.

The Weekly reported that Cecilia, husband Nicholas and their families were delighted when she learnt of her pregnancy at the beginning of September.

They spent close to HK$ 1 billion ($18.24 mil) on a new Ocean Bay residence in preparation for the new addition to their family. The move signified a new beginning, and was also an attempt to put the Edison Chen nude photo scandal behind them.

However, a close friend of Cecilia's revealed that the baby's heart had stopped suddenly, forcing Cecilia to seek an abortion.

Cecilia was reportedly admitted to hospital last week, in the company of her sister. Her gynaecologist who delivered her firstborn, Dr Liang Su De, performed the operation.

Cecilia reportedly had a skin allergy in her first trimester, but did not realise that it was an early warning sign. She was seen visiting a well-known dermatologist on Sep 10 with obvious rashes on her cheeks. When reporters asked her if she was pregnant, she did not respond.

She only realised that the rashes were caused by imbalances in her hormonal and immune system when she went for a check up with her gynaecologist.

Their families were shocked and severely disappointed at the news.