Mariska Hargitay 'adopts baby girl'

Mariska Hargitay and husband Peter Hermann have become parents for the second time.

The couple adopted the baby girl - named Amaya Josephine - last week and are "thrilled" at the new addition to their family.

"I'm deliriously happy," the Law and Order: SVU actress told People. "From the minute she was born, she was just surprisingly alert and so full of love.

"We were considering both international and domestic adoption and we're thrilled that this is the way our prayers were answered. We talked a lot about mixed-race adoptions, and we are very excited that we are now a multi-racial family. We're just so happy she's here."

The pair are already parents to 4-year-old Roman, who is excited to have a new sibling to look after.

"He is over the moon. He calls her his baby because he says the whole thing was his idea. He always talks about how he's going to protect her. He's going to be a great big brother," she explained.

Hargitay previously suffered from a collapsed lung as a result of an injury she sustained performing stunt work on SVU. She later insisted that she was back to full health.